Dual Sounding Rocket and C/NOFS Satellite Observations of DC Electric Fields and Plasma Density in the Equatorial E- and F-Region Ionosphere at Sunset.

E × B plasma drifts and plasma number density were measured on two NASA rockets launched simultaneously at sunset from Kwajalein Atoll with apogees of 182 and 331 km, with similar, coincident measurements gathered on the Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite at 390 km. The combined measurements portray a highly dynamic ionosphere in a narrow range of local time and altitude, providing evidence of vortex-like motions. Although the vertical plasma drift was upwards, its magnitude was not constant, increasing between ∼150 and 250 km altitude where the plasma density was reduced. The zonal plasma drifts displayed a shear with altitude, changing from eastward to westward flow below 270 km, coincident with the larger upward drifts and consistent with the maintenance of the vortex flow. The plasma density on the western flank was highly structured compared to the eastern flank, despite the fact that the western region corresponded to slightly earlier local times. These observations illustrate that the low latitude ionosphere at sunset must be considered as an ensemble of interconnected flows encompassing an evolving "theater," as opposed to a background that simply unfolds linearly with respect to local time. The observations also underscore how satellites at high altitudes do not capture the highly dynamic ionosphere and thermosphere at the lower altitudes which are critical for understanding the electrodynamics system. Such motions set the stage for large scale plasma instabilities to form later in the evening, as observed by radars at Kwajalein and subsequent passes of the C/NOFS satellite.

Daytime Dynamo Electrodynamics With Spiral Currents Driven by Strong Winds Revealed by Vapor Trails and Sounding Rocket Probes.

We investigate the forces and atmosphere-ionosphere coupling that create atmospheric dynamo currents using two rockets launched nearly simultaneously on 4 July 2013 from Wallops Island (USA), during daytime Sq conditions with ΔH of -30 nT. One rocket released a vapor trail observed from an airplane which showed peak velocities of >160 m/s near 108 km and turbulence coincident with strong unstable shear. Electric and magnetic fields and plasma density were measured on a second rocket. The current density peaked near 110 km exhibiting a spiral pattern with altitude that mirrored that of the winds, suggesting the dynamo is driven by tidal forcing. Such stratified currents are obscured in integrated ground measurements. Large electric fields produced a current opposite to that driven by the wind, believed created to minimize the current divergence. Using the observations, we solve the dynamo equation versus altitude, providing a new perspective on the complex nature of the atmospheric dynamo.

Health care and cost of medication for inflammatory bowel disease in the Rhein-Main region, Germany: a multicenter, prospective, internet-based study.

BACKGROUND: Studies examining the treatment reality of IBD patients in Germany have been limited, as networking among deliverers of care and reliable documentation of medical, demographic, and economic data are lacking. The aim of the present study was to establish an internet-based treatment registry in order to evaluate treatment of IBD patients in Germany. METHODS: Between November 1(st), 2005, and January 31, 2007, 1024 outpatients with prevalent IBD from 10 gastroenterological private practices and 3 hospitals (UC = 439, CD = 567, ID = 18) were enrolled in the study. An internet-based registry was established that included data about medical history, disease status, diagnostic procedures, laboratory test results, and medical treatment. Data for private practices and hospitals were pooled in order to compare treatment habits between these types of medical facilities. The cost of medication was determined according to medications prescribed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the 2 patient groups in demographic and clinical characteristics. Marked differences were observed in medical treatment. The most frequently prescribed medications in the private practices for patients in remission and those with active disease were aminosalicylates and corticosteroids. Immunomodulators played a marginal role. In contrast, in the hospitals azathioprine/6-MP was predominantly used for the maintenance of remission. Patients with fistulizing CD were treated with infliximab. The mean annual cost of medications was 1826 +/- 1331euro/patient (median 1353euro) in the private practices and 1849euro +/- 2897euro/patient (median 960euro) at the University Hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The registry provides the first detailed data about the reality of treatment of IBD patients in Germany and reveals the necessity for networking among attending physicians in order to implement guidelines-conformed treatment.

[Effectiveness of antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated by private practice gastroenterologists]. / Effektivität der antiviralen Behandlung von Patienten mit chronischer Hepatitis C in der gastroenterologischen Facharztpraxis.

The standard treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C consists of pegylated interferon (PegIFN) alpha in combination with ribavirin. Information on treatment effectiveness outside clinical trials is sparse. To study community-based health care, a regional network supported by the German network of competence for hepatitis (Hep-Net) was created between gastroenterologists in private practice and a tertiary referral centre. A treatment register containing evidence-based guidelines was established and 212 consecutive patients who were treated with either PegIF Nalpha 2a/ribavirin (n = 126) or PegIFNalpha2b/ribavirin (n = 86) for 24 weeks (HCV genotype 2, 3) and 48 weeks (HCV genotype 1, 4, 5), respectively, were included and followed prospectively. Twenty-four weeks after cessation of antiviral treatment a sustained virological response was achieved in 54 % of the patients. By univariate analyses, infection with HCV genotypes 2 or 3 (p < 0.0001), younger age (p < 0.0001), normal gamma-glutamyltransferase levels before initiation of treatment (p = 0.003), and absence of language communication problems (p = 0.023) were associated with a sustained virological response. The presence of liver cirrhosis in patients with HCV genotype 1, 4, 5 infection was associated with lower sustained response rates (p = 0.025). Patients infected with HCV genotype 1 in whom the PegIFNalpha dose was reduced had higher virological relapse rates (p = 0.049). With regard to the treating physician, sustained virological response rates ranged from 26 - 67 % in patients infected with HCV genotype 1. Our study shows that virological response rates similar to those in international randomised clinical trials can be achieved by private practice gastroenterologists. The presented network allows characterization of the treatment outcome in chronic hepatitis C not only with regard to virus- and host-related factors but also on an individual physician basis.

Cryobiology of rat embryos I: determination of zygote membrane permeability coefficients for water and cryoprotectants, their activation energies, and the development of improved cryopreservation methods.

New rat models are being developed at an exponential rate, making improved methods to cryopreserve rat embryos extremely important. However, cryopreservation of rat embryos has proven to be difficult and expensive. In this study, a series of experiments was performed to characterize the fundamental cryobiology of rat fertilized 1-cell embryos (zygotes) and to investigate the effects of different cryoprotective agents (CPAs) and two different plunging temperatures (T(p)) on post-thaw survival of embryos from three genetic backgrounds. In the initial experiments, information on the fundamental cryobiology of rat zygotes was determined, including 1) the hydraulic conductivity in the presence of CPAs (L(p)), 2) the cryoprotectant permeability (P(CPA)), 3) the reflection coefficient (sigma), and 4) the activation energies for these parameters. P(CPA) values were determined for the CPAs, ethylene glycol (EG), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and propylene glycol (PG). Using this information, a cryopreservation method was developed and the cryosurvival and fetal development of Sprague-Dawley zygotes cryopreserved in either EG, DMSO, or PG and plunged at either -30 or -80 degrees C, were assessed. The highest fetal developmental rates were obtained using a T(p) of -30 degrees C and EG (61.2% +/- 2.4%), which was not different (P > 0.05) from nonfrozen control zygotes (54.6% +/- 3.0%).

Water and DMSO membrane permeability characteristics of in-vivo- and in-vitro-derived and cultured murine oocytes and embryos.

Although embryo cryopreservation is routine for many mammalian species, it is important to know how the fundamental cryobiology of these cells changes with development. Progressive cleavage divisions result in a reduction in the blastomere surface area available for water and cryoprotectant mass transport. Therefore, the membrane permeability of murine oocytes, zygotes, 2-cell, 4-cell, and 8-cell embryos to water (Lp), and dimethylsulphoxide (PDMSO), and the reflection coefficient, sigma (sigma) were determined. Oocytes or zygotes were recovered, cumulus cells removed, then cultured until use. Oocytes and embryos were immobilized and perfused with treatment solutions at 24 degrees C. Osmotically induced cell volume changes over time were videotaped followed by image analysis. The Lp values in the presence of dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) were 0.77, 0.81, 0.94, 0.86, and 1.10 microm/min/atm, and the PDMSO values were 1.85, 2.04, 2.41, 1.95, and 1.25x10(-3) cm/min for oocytes, zygotes, 2, 4, and 8-cell embryos respectively. The Lp values in the presence of DMSO were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those in the absence of DMSO. Treating the whole embryo as a single osmotic entity leads to significantly (P < 0.05) elevated PDMSO estimates relative to those based upon measurements of individual blastomeres. These data indicate that both Lp and PDMSO estimates are lower when predicted on an individual blastomere basis. The data also show that neither Lp nor PDMSO differ among oocytes, zygotes, 2-cell and 4-cell embryos. However, the significantly higher Lp and lower PDMSO of the 8-cell stage support the hypothesis that fundamental cryobiological differences may require developmental stage-specific embryo cryopreservation protocols.

[Molecular modeling of N-isopropyl lisergamides analogous to LSD using molecular mechanics and quantum mechanical calculations]. / Modelado molecular de N-isopropil lisergamidas analogas al LSD, utilizando cálculos de mecánica molecular y mecánica cuántica.

Molecular mechanics and quantum mechanics were used to study the preferred conformations, electron densities and frontier orbitals of d-LSD and their analogs with the isopropyl amide group, compounds with reported activity over the serotonin receptor. Electron densities and frontier orbitals for isopropyl analogs were similar to d-LSD, so these properties can not be related with the changes in biological activity previously reported. It was found that isopropyl analogs have preferred conformations similar to d-LSD with small variation in the alkylamide group. The variation in the alkylamide group causes small variations in the orientation of the carbonyl amide group, our study suggests that this variation could affect the binding with the hydrophobic region of the receptor.

Drug discrimination and receptor binding studies of N-isopropyl lysergamide derivatives.

Isopropyl (IPLA), N-methyl-N-isopropyl (MIPLA), N-ethyl-N-isopropyl (EIPLA), and N,N-diisopropyl (DIPLA) lysergamides were evaluated for lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-like activity. In rats trained to discriminate 0.08 mg/kg LSD tartrate from saline, each of the subject compounds completely substituted, with an ED50 two to three times larger than that of LSD except for DIPLA, which had an ED50 about eightfold greater. Similarly, all the compounds displaced [125I](R)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane ([125I]DOI) from rat cortical homogenates and displaced [3H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin ([3H]8-OH-DPAT) from rat hippocampal homogenates with KI values similar to those of LSD, again with the exception of DIPLA, which had about nine- and fourfold lower affinities, respectively. Interestingly, all the compounds had four- to fivefold lower affinities than LSD in displacing [3H]ketanserin from 5-HT2 binding sites. Molecular modeling studies found that all the compounds had low energy conformations similar to LSD. No correlation between the activity of the compounds and the preferred conformation of the amide substituents was apparent. In summary, N-alkyl-N-isopropyl analogs of LSD retain LSD-like activity in drug discrimination and 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 agonist binding assays only until the N-alkyl substitution is as large as ethyl; LSD-like activity dramatically drops when the second alkyl substituent is N-isopropyl.