Switching Exciton Pulses Through Conical Intersections.

Exciton pulses transport excitation and entanglement adiabatically through Rydberg aggregates, assemblies of highly excited light atoms, which are set into directed motion by resonant dipole-dipole interaction. Here, we demonstrate the coherent splitting of such pulses as well as the spatial segregation of electronic excitation and atomic motion. Both mechanisms exploit local nonadiabatic effects at a conical intersection, turning them from a decoherence source into an asset. The intersection provides a sensitive knob controlling the propagation direction and coherence properties of exciton pulses. The fundamental ideas discussed here have general implications for excitons on a dynamic network.

Fabrication of cone-shaped boron doped diamond and gold nanoelectrodes for AFM-SECM.

We demonstrate a reliable microfabrication process for a combined atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) measurement tool. Integrated cone-shaped sensors with boron doped diamond (BDD) or gold (Au) electrodes were fabricated from commercially available AFM probes. The sensor formation process is based on mature semiconductor processing techniques, including focused ion beam (FIB) machining, and highly selective reactive ion etching (RIE). The fabrication approach preserves the geometry of the original AFM tips resulting in well reproducible nanoscaled sensors. The feasibility and functionality of the fully featured tips are demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry, showing good agreement between the measured and calculated currents of the cone-shaped AFM-SECM electrodes.

Early medical abortion with methotrexate and misoprostol.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the introduction of an early medical abortion program with methotrexate and misoprostol, using a standardized protocol. METHODS: A total of 1973 women at 34 Planned Parenthood sites participated in a case series of early medical abortion. Ultrasound was used to confirm gestational age of less than 49 days from the first day of the last menstrual period. Women were given intramuscular methotrexate 50 mg/m(2) of body surface area on day 1, and then they inserted misoprostol 800 microg vaginally at home on day 5, 6, or 7. Women were advised to have a suction curettage if the pregnancy appeared viable 2 weeks after methotrexate or if any gestational sac persisted 4 weeks after methotrexate. Outcomes were complete medical abortion and suction curettage. RESULTS: Sixteen hundred fifty-nine women (84.1%) had a complete medical abortion, and 257 (13.0%) had suction curettage. The most common reason for curettage was patient option (8.9%). At 2 weeks after methotrexate use, 1.4% of women had curettage because of a viable pregnancy; at 4 weeks, 1.6% of women had curettage because of a persistent but nonviable pregnancy. One percent of women had curettage because of physician recommendation, most commonly for bleeding. Suction curettage rates decreased with site experience (P <.006) and were lower at early gestational ages (P <.004) and in nulliparous women (P <.004). CONCLUSION: Medical abortion with methotrexate and misoprostol is safe and effective and can be offered in a community setting.

[Diagnosis of acute intermittent porphyria. Results of neurological, biochemical and genetic studies]. / Zur Diagnostik der akuten intermittierenden Porphyrie: Ergebnisse neurologischer, biochemischer und genetischer Untersuchungen.

Neurological and biochemical studies have been performed on four AIP families with 21 members. Five patients suffered from manifested AIP (Uroporphyrinogen Synthase defect and characteristic urine findings); among their relatives five persons with latent AIP were detected and eight carriers of the genetic-enzymic defect (Uroporphyrinogen Synthase defect). Internal and neurological symptoms could be interpreted as a panneuropathy. Acute and chronical polyneuropathies could be observed as well as myelopathies and cerebral co-reactions. A frequent symptom dominating the crisis and the latent state of AIP were etiologically abscure 'myalgias.' The character of the course of AIP is various and dubious: beyond the 'classical' courses with its intermittent porphyric crises we observed one case which was characterized by a permanent crisis and a second case marked by a chronical, slow progredient course without any porphyric attacks.

Intrathecal synthesis of virus-specific oligoclonal antibodies in patients with enterovirus infection of the central nervous system.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from six patients with enterovirus infections were investigated by isoelectric focusing (IEF) and affinity-mediated immunoblot AMI) for the clonal distribution of entervirus-specific antibodies. In two patients with either acute meningitis or encephalitis and in one patient with a relapse of multiple sclerosis, oligoclonal IgG bands specific for enteroviruses were found predominantly in the CSF, revealing intrathecal synthesis of these antibodies. In three other patients with neurological symptoms probably unrelated to a current enterovirus infection, IEF and AMI disclosed nearly identical patterns of coxsackievirus-B-specific oligoclonal bands in the CSF and serum, indicating diffusion of these antibodies from the serum into the CSF. Although the number of patients in this study is small, the results suggest that intrathecally synthesized enterovirus-specific antibodies may be used as a means of identifying an enterovirus infection of the CNS.

[Cardiovascular disorders in acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) (author's transl)]. / Kardiovaskuläre Störungen bei der akuten intermittierenden Porphyrie (AIP).

The acute porphyric crisis is a characteristic clinical feature common to all hereditary hepatic porphyrias (acute intermittent porphyria [AIP], porphyria variegata and hereditary coproporphyria). The crisis is marked by an acute disorder of the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous system. Autonomic disorders may play a major part and may provoke severe cardiovascular symptoms. According to the literature our findings support data describing supraventricular tachycardia as the most important sign, followed by hypertension--or, rarely, hypotension--cardioarrhythmias and cardiomyopathy. While tachycardia, blood pressure disturbances and cardioarrhythmia indicate sympathetic overactivity, cardiomyopathic alterations suggest functional or structural coronary dysfunction. The existence of a specific "angiopathia porphyrica"--based on functional, angiospastic or secondary hypertensive disorders--has been discussed for a long time. Recent results concerning a 20-year follow-up study of AIP patients revealed chronic hypertension as being the most significant disorder and seem to support a hypertensive aetiology.

6-Methylpurine, 6-methyl-9-beta-D-ribofuranosylpurine, and 6-hydroxymethyl-9-beta-D-ribofuranosylpurine as antiviral metabolites of Collybia maculata (Basidiomycetes).

6-Methylpurine, 6-methyl-9-beta-D-ribofuranosylpurine and 6-hydroxymethyl-9-beta-D-ribofuranosylpurine were isolated from mycelial cultures of Collybia maculata and their antifungal, cytotoxic and antiviral activities investigated. This is the first report on the natural occurrence of these compounds.

[Results of Keller/Brandes method of hallux valgus surgery]. / Ergebnisse von Hallux-valgus-Operationen nach Keller/Brandes.

In 1983 to 1987 we operated 216 Patients on hallux valgus. In most of them we made the method of Keller/Brandes. This is a report about the results of 165 patients with 238 operated hallucis.

[Dysplasia epiphysealis hemimelica--a case report]. / Dysplasia epiphysealis hemimelica--ein Fallbericht.

One case of dysplasia epiphysealis hemimelica is described. It is an uncommon disorder belonging to the group of osteochondromatoses. The disease occurs on young children and is localized mainly in the ankle and knee joints. The time in which the patient came to our hospital was to late to make a causal operation. It is the reason to describe this case of dysplasia epiphysealis hemimelica.

[Vocational rehabilitation of psychiatrically handicapped people]. / Berufliche Rehabilitation psychisch behinderter Menschen.

The article describes the working concepts of "Lankwitzer Werkstätten", a facility for vocational rehabilitation of persons with (chronic) mental illness. The working concept of this sheltered workshop is crafts- and service-oriented. Some 60 rehabilitees and sheltered workshop employees work in four small "shops". Work structures and everyday organization are somewhat unusual in that they follow general labour market conditions as closely as possible. In their working structures, the sheltered workplaces usually do not differ from workplaces in small crafts enterprises of the general labour market. As far as remuneration is concerned, the workshop is in a position to at least envisage levels of pay that will ensure independence from social assistance supplements if the facility's technical equipment can be kept current and work planning made more efficient. Within the limits of the legal possibilities, and making the most of them, both the diagnostic-prognostic benefits of the entry procedure in the work training process as well as the placement opportunities for rehabilitees in the general labour market are being utilized, with occasionally very successful outcomes.

[Schizophrenia and neuro-endocrine functional disorders--a case study on the problem of paranoid psychosis]. / Schizophrenie und neuro-endokrine Funktionsstörung- eine Fallstudie zum Problem der paranoiden Psychose

Schizophrenia and neuro-endocrine functional defects - a case report concerning the problem of paranoid psychosis: The case of a female patient with paranoic psychosis and endocrine defects has been reported. Under the present pathophysiological concepts the possibility of a combination of schizophrenic and neuro-endocrine symptomatic is suggested. The results of more recent investigations are discussed in respect of organic origin of schizophrenia that is based on potential reduction in the region of the limbic-hypothalamic nervous system.

Photosystem II genes isiA, psbDI and psbC in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120: cloning, sequencing and the transcriptional regulation in iron-stressed and iron-repleted cells.

Under conditions of iron deprivation cyanobacteria produce flavodoxin to replace ferredoxin as the terminal electron acceptor of photosynthesis. In unicellular cyanobacteria, the gene for flavodoxin is the second open reading frame in a dicistronic operon whose transcription is tightly regulated by iron. The first gene, isiA, produces a protein that is very similar to CP43, a chlorophyll-binding, antenna protein of the photosystem II reaction center. In the filamentous, heterocystous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, isiA and the gene for flavodoxin are located in separate operons with independent promoters. In this paper, we report on the sequence of isiA and show that it is found in a monocistronic operon that is transcriptionally regulated to be expressed under iron stress but does not produce detectable transcripts under conditions of iron repletion. We also report on the sequence, organization and expression of the gene that codes for CP43, psbC. In Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, psbC has a genetic organization similar to that of other cyanobacteria and higher plants; the 5' end of psbC overlaps the 3' end of psbDI. Transcriptional analysis of the psbDC operon showed that it is constitutively expressed in both iron-repleted and iron-stressed conditions; however, a new monocistronic transcript was detected that contains psbC and is preferentially expressed under iron stress conditions.

An iron stress operon involved in photosynthetic electron transport in the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002.

The iron-stress-induced genes isiA and isiB have been cloned and sequenced from the marine unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. These genes code for a photosystem II chlorophyll-binding protein and flavodoxin respectively. The genes form a dicistronic operon that is transcriptionally activated under iron-stress conditions to produce an abundant monocistronic message containing isiA and a much less abundant dicistronic message that also contains isiB. The arrangement of these genes, their transcriptional control and the relative abundance of the monocistronic and dicistronic messages produced under iron stress parallels the pattern shown by the freshwater cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942. The genes for the corresponding proteins found under iron-replete conditions, CP-43 and ferredoxin, have also been cloned and sequenced. Northern blot analysis indicates that both of these genes are constitutively expressed under both iron-stress and iron-replete conditions.

Local therapy of herpes simplex with dried extract from Melissa officinalis.

An overt multicentric study involving 115 patients and another subsequent placebo-controlled double-blind study involving 116 patients contributed significantly to the corroborative evidence of the antiviral activity in vitro of a specially prepared dried extract from Melissa leaves (Melissa officinalis L.) against herpes simplex infections. The studies provided the proof that the ingredient gave protection against herpes simplex infections. The initiation of the treatment in the very early stages of the infection revealed itself as most effective.

Phytotherapy in functional upper abdominal complaints Results of a clinical study with a preparation of several plants.

Efficacy and tolerance of Lomatol® drops (a preparation with extracts of the fruits of Carum carvi [caraway], fruits of Foeniculum vulgare [fennel], leaves of Menta piperita [peppermint] and the herb of Artemisia absinthium [wormwood] in the treatment of upper abdominal complaints was compared with the efficacy and tolerance of metoclopramide drops in a controlled, randomized, double-blind study. Their impact on the symptoms of pain, nausea, heartburn, retching and gastrospasms were assessed on a 5-point rating scale. During the two weeks of treatment and observation the phytodrug demonstrated statistically significant better results than the synthetic preparation in relieving all the symptoms. These findings were confirmed by subjective assessment of the general condition by the patient. Moreover, Lomatol® caused significantly fewer adverse drug reactions than metoclopramide and was statistically significantly better tolerated. Thus, this plant combination can be recommended for upper abdominal complaints without any restrictions. The same is also true for similarly composed Lomatol® coated tablets.

[Psychotic disturbance and epilepsy as principal signs of arteriovenous angioma of the brain--described on case history basis (author's transl)]. / Psychotische Störung und Epilepsie als Leitsymptom arteriovenöser Angiome des Gehirns--dargestellt anhand eines kasuistischen Beitrages.

The article describes the case of a 36-year old female patient with left temporal arteriovenous angioma suffering from psychomotoric epilepsy followed five years later by a symptomatic psychosis (paraphrenia). Basing on the case history of this patient, the phenomenological, neurophysiologico-biochemical and cerebrolocalisatory common features of psychotic disturbance and psychomotoric epilepsy are discussed; the etiologically underlying lesion of the limbic system is described. As far as clinical practice is concerned, the author raises the demand that, to say the least, orientating neurological diagnosis should be included at any early stage into differential diagnostic considerations.

Microshape and rough-surface analysis by fringe projection.

A fringe-projection system for microscopic applications, fringe-projecting microscopy, is developed and analyzed. Projection of the grating and imaging of the fringe system, modulated by the surface, are accomplished by the same high-aperture objective. The spectrum of the grating is spatially filtered and projected into the aperture with a lateral shift, which leads to a telecentric projection under oblique incidence and telecentric imaging. Topographies of specularly as well as diffusely reflecting surfaces can be obtained. The measurement of highly rough surfaces is described together with preprocessing steps. The resulting intensity distribution of the fringes is analyzed. Formulas for vertical and lateral resolution, measuring range, and dynamic range, based on noise considerations, are presented and verified by topographies of technical surfaces.

The role of sex chromosomes in black fly evolution.

Sex chromosomes have been repeatedly implicated in the process of speciation of black flies and other nemotocerans. Arguments are presented here against the case that frequent differences between species in their sex chromosomes are based on (i) different average rates of differentiation of sex-linked and autosomal loci or (ii) the fact that the X and Y chromosomes are less numerous than autosomal chromosomes and so are more subject to the effects of drift and the random fixation of chromosome rearrangements. The argument is made that speciation in black flies and many other groups is an adaptive process and that differentiated sex-chromosome systems play a role in this process.

[Quantitative determination of glia-specific proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with MS (author's transl)]. / Nachweis Glia-spezifischen Proteins im Liquor bei multipler Sklerose

150 cerebrospinal fluids from MS patients (85 cases) and patients with different neurological diseases (65 cases) were investigated for their glia-specific content. The demonstration was made quantitatively by means of modified passive hemagglutination tests. The brain-specific glycoprotein was examined for its possible endogenous antigen and/or antibody properties in the cerebrospinal fluid (csf). It could only be demonstrated in the CSF as antigen. CSF with a quantitatively detectable glia-specific protein content- recognizable by a significant increase in titer - were set in relation to other CSF parameters such as cell count, total protein and globulin ratio, and investigated for possible relationships to the clinical syndromes mentioned and their development. A firm correlation was found between the glia-specific protein content and the total protein content of the CSF with retained equivalence.

Topometry for locally changing materials.

Three-dimensional topometry is supplemented with ellipsometric measurements on the same pixel raster for calculation of the phase of the reflected waves and correction of the height fields. Lateral resolution is <1mum . The ellipsometric angles are determined by phase shifting and contrast evaluation. Three-dimensional fields of the ellipsometric angles, the real and the imaginary parts of the refractive index, and the corrected topography of the heights are presented.