Compact electron beam ion sources/traps: review and prospects.

The Dresden electron beam ion trap (EBIT)/electron beam ion source (EBIS) family are very compact and economically working table-top ion sources. We report on the development of three generations of such ion sources, the so-called Dresden EBIT, Dresden EBIS, and Dresden EBIS-A, respectively. The ion sources are classified by different currents of extractable ions at different charge states and by the x-ray spectra emitted by the ions inside the electron beam. We present examples of x-ray measurements and measured ion currents extracted from the ion sources at certain individual operating conditions. Ion charge states of up to Xe(48+) but also bare nuclei of lighter elements up to nickel have been extracted. The application potential of the ion sources is demonstrated via proof-of-concept applications employing an EBIT in a focused ion beam (FIB) column or using an EBIT for the production of nanostructures by single ion hits. Additionally we give first information about the next generation of the Dresden EBIS series. The so-called Dresden EBIS-SC is a compact and cryogen-free superconducting high-B-field EBIS for high-current operation.

Catecholamines in depression: a cumulative study of urinary norepinephrine and its major metabolites in unipolar and bipolar depressed patients versus healthy volunteers at the NIMH.

Studies comparing urinary norepinephrine (NE) and its metabolites in unipolar or bipolar depressed patients and healthy volunteers have not yielded consistent findings. However, in unipolar depressed patients, most studies in non-elderly populations consistently report elevated concentrations of plasma NE, at least following an orthostatic challenge. Expanding upon previous studies which showed elevated plasma NE in depression, we compared the urinary excretion of NE, normetanephrine (NMN), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) in age- and sex-matched unipolar and bipolar depressed patients versus healthy volunteers hospitalized at an inpatient unit at the National Institute of Mental Health. Only depressed subjects with a minimum 4-week drug-free period were included. Total turnover (NE + NMN + MHPG + VMA) was reduced in this sample of unipolar and bipolar depressed patients. MHPG concentration did not distinguish unipolar from bipolar depressed patients and was not significantly different from that in healthy volunteers. A construct of the average fractional extraneuronal concentration of NE (NE + NMN/NE + NMN + MHPG + VMA) was significantly higher in unipolar and bipolar depressed patients than in healthy volunteers. This finding extends data suggesting that unmedicated unipolar and bipolar depressed patients have a 'hyperresponsive' noradrenergic system and provides a framework which ties together plasma and urinary findings.

A double-blind study comparing idazoxan and bupropion in bipolar depressed patients.

BACKGROUND: There is a small body of evidence indicating that idazoxan, a potent and selective alpha-2 antagonist, may be effective in treating bipolar depressive disorder. The purpose of this prospective controlled study is to compare idazoxan to bupropion, an antidepressant which has been suggested to have some advantages over other antidepressants in treating bipolar depressed patients. METHODS: Bipolar I depressed patients were randomly assigned in this 6-week double-blind out-patient study to receive either idazoxan, titrated to 240 mg/day and placebo bupropion, or bupropion, titrated to 450 mg/day and placebo idazoxan. These doses were achieved after 2 weeks. Depression severity was assessed with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and possible psychosis with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Side effects, heart rate, weight, and orthostatic blood pressure were also monitored. RESULTS: Fourteen patients completed this study (seven in each group). Both idazoxan and bupropion demonstrated significant improvement over time with reductions in Hamilton scores of 50%. LIMITATIONS: Limitations of this study include lack of a placebo group and small sample size. CONCLUSION: In light of our preliminary findings suggesting the usefulness of idazoxan in bipolar depression, larger more rigorous studies are indicated.

A review of anticonvulsants in treating agitated demented elderly patients.

Agitation in the elderly, manifested by verbal and physical aggression, frequently results in increased morbidity and mortality for nursing home residents and reduced morale for the family and nursing home staff. It is also responsible for increased costs associated with caring for these residents. Pharmacologic interventions are often used but are frequently ineffective and associated with significant adverse effects. Few controlled studies of drug treatment are available, but divalproex sodium and carbamazepine are effective and well tolerated by this population. Divalproex sodium has advantages of fewer adverse side effects and drug-drug interactions.

Resiliency and adult adaptation in women with and without self-reported histories of childhood sexual abuse.

This study investigated the relationship of protective factors (PF) to adult adaptation in a nonclinical sample consisting of 264 undergraduate women: two groups without childhood sexual abuse (CSA), high (n = 109) and low (n = 99) on PF; and two groups with CSA, high (n = 17) and low (n = 27) on PF. The first hypothesis that higher levels of PF would be significantly associated with higher levels of functioning for all individuals was supported by the data. The second hypothesis that the women with CSA and higher levels of PF would appear similar in adaptation to those without CSA was also supported. The findings further suggest that though the protective factors were beneficial for most individuals, they were significantly more helpful for those with CSA.

Platelet α2-adrenoreceptors in depression: a critical examination.

During the past decade, results from radioligand studies comparing platelet α(2)-adrenoreceptors in depressed patients and healthy volunteers have been inconsistent, especially when related to the known functional characteristics of these receptors. Despite the availability of radioligands for α(2)-adrenoreceptors, inherent methodological problems exist which make data from these studies difficult to interpret. The authors review the overall data from radioligand studies using [(3)H] clonidine and [(3)H] yohimbine of platelet α(2)-adrenoreceptors in depressed patients and healthy volunteers. Theoretical and methodological issues are critically examined in the light of recent findings. Finally, alternative strategies for studying α( 2)-adrenoreceptors in clinical populations are considered.

Risk and resilience in young adolescents.

This exploratory study focused on the role of risk and protective factors in 179 adolescents from a middle and lower income northeastern school district. The protective factors examined were family cohesion, locus of control, mother/father communication, and relationship with a nonparent adult. The study found that the protective factors were powerful predictors of adaptation in their own right independent of risk. Protective factors were found to be highly context specific and there was no evidence of broadly applicable protective factors. Gender was found to be an important aspect of context, and there were significant sex differences. Most strikingly, the study did not find any significant interactions between protective factors and risk for girls or boys. Thus, these results support the growing view that researchers must identify specific rather than global protective factors that provide protection in the space of specific risks for youth in specific life contexts.

Class I and class II HLA antigens in a homogeneous Argentinian population with Whipple's disease: lack of association with HLA-B 27.

The prevalence of class I and class II HLA antigen was analyzed in 14 patients (12 males, two females) with Whipple's disease, diagnosed an average of 9.7 yr (range 6 months to 25 yr) before the typing. They were compared with 174 healthy control subjects of the same geographic area in Argentina. Class I antigens (locus A, B, C) were studied by lymphocytotoxic test, and class II antigens (locus DR, DQ) were detected by the double immunofluorescence technique. HLA-B27 was positive in one patient (7.7%) and in 4% of the control population. No significant association was found with the antigens tested. We observed no difference in the clinical picture or in the frequency of arthralgias, compared with those reported in the literature. Our data suggest that there is no conclusive proof of an association between HLA-B27 and Whipple's disease.

Bias effects of socioeconomic status and sex in decision making in speech-language pathology.

Within the area of speech-language pathology there is a paucity of literature that specifically addresses the issue of bias in the referral, assessment, and placement of children in programs for the remediation of speech-language disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the issue of bias [i.e., sex and socioeconomic status (SES)] as it related to decision making in speech-language pathology. Certified speech-language pathologists completed a questionnaire survey in which information regarding the referral and assessment of a hypothetical case study child was presented. Only the sex of the child and the parents' occupations were varied. Factor analysis and subsequent analyses of variance revealed a significant difference with regard to the SES main effect (p less than .006) for Factor 2 (Alternative Home and School Intervention Strategies). That is, it was found that regardless of sex, low SES children were viewed as more likely than high SES children to be recommended for alternative home and school intervention strategies for the remediation of speech-language delays.

Cricopharyngeal dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Dysphagia due to cricopharyngeal dysfunction is well known; however, there have been no previous data indicating an association between cricopharyngeal dysfunction and COPD. After observing marked cricopharyngeal dysfunction with aspiration in three patients who had frequent and severe exacerbations of COPD, we performed pharyngoesophageal examinations with videotaping in another 22 nonrandomized patients. Cineradiography or videofluoroscopic recording with capabilities of slow-motion and freeze-frame playback is mandatory, since the transit time of the bolus through the pharynx is rapid. Severe cricopharyngeal dysfunction was observed in 17 elderly patients with COPD. Deglutition disorders were elicited by careful questioning in 15 of these. In eight subjects, cricopharyngeal myotomy resulted in improvement of swallowing and complete or partial relief of acute exacerbations of respiratory distress. In one subject, myotomy relieved only the swallowing problem. The mechanism of cricopharyngeal dysfunction in elderly patients with COPD is unknown at this time, but may be related to gastroesophageal reflux, therapeutic agents, and/or alterations in pharyngoesophageal anatomic structures. We conclude that investigations for swallowing disorders should be considered in patients with COPD who have frequent acute exacerbations of respiratory distress.

Referred children's cognitive patterns on the WISC-R.

A variety of theoretically and clinically derived WISC-R subtest regroupings have been proposed to provide clinicians with alternative methods by which to interpret children's individual cognitive profiles. The present study was conducted to examine selected subtest groupings for a sample of 105 children referred for psychological evaluation because classroom learning problems were suspected. The statistical analyses used were repeated-measures analysis of variance for comparison across a set of four subtest regroupings proposed by Bannatyne in 1974 and dependent t tests for comparisons of several dichotomous sets of subtest regroupings proposed by Kaufman in 1979. A number of significant cognitive pattern differences with these referred children showed marked similarity to learning disabled and conduct-problem children. Implications and suggestions for research are provided.

The art of the children of Terezin. A psychological study.

This study is an analysis of the content and symbolism inherent in the art of children who were imprisoned in the Terezin Concentration Camp during the Holocaust. Its purpose is to attempt to understand how they perceived and sought to cope with the conditions of their lives at the camp, and to assess the degree of psychic damage suffered by them. The major themes are food, family and freedom, intense feelings of claustrophobia, a sense of the fragility of one's physical existence and the lack of human value of the camp inmates. Impressive is the absence of evidence of serious mental illness and aggression. It may be inferred that these manifestations did not have survival value.

Nutritional factors in epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma.

The role of nutritional factors in the management of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related, or epidemic, Kaposi's sarcoma (EKS) is complex, since there are known interactions between malnutrition, immunodeficiency, and cancer. Malnutrition is a well-established cause of immune aberrations, which are seen in deficiencies of both protein and energy, as well as specific nutrients, particularly trace metals. Conversely, malnutrition is a common result of both cancer and immunodeficiency. Cancer patients without an obviously immunological pathogenesis frequently have malnutrition and cachexia, mainly as a result of a decreased dietary intake and poorly defined host-tumor interactions (commonly labeled "hypermetabolic"). Patients with primary immunodeficiency syndromes similarly experience a triad of diarrhea, malabsorption, and weight loss, which are responsible for the development of malnutrition. This triad is common in patients with AIDS, with or without the presence of Kaposi's sarcoma. The specific mechanisms of these interactions in EKS patients are largely unexplored; although some can be explained by the enteropathic effects of opportunistic infections, others can not. Some investigators have advocated careful nutritional evaluation of all AIDS patients, with vigorous nutritional support to be provided where assessment reveals suboptimal nutritional status. Specific nutrient deficiencies have been reported, of which selenium may be the most interesting; preliminary data indicate that it may be responsible for a malnutrition-related immunodepression seen with AIDS. Such supportive measures may significantly improve symptomatic relief, but there is as yet no evidence that they alter the course of the disease.

HLA antigens and other genetic markers in the Mapuche Indians of Argentina.

A total of 107 Mapuche Indians living in western Argentina were studied with respect to 16 genetic systems. For HLA, there were a few differences in relation to previous studies; and considering the averages observed in 15 other South American tribes, Mapuche Indians showed low values for A2, A9 and C3, but high ones for A28 and B16. This is the first report of the presence (in low frequencies, 1-6%) of alleles C2, C6 and C7, as well as of DR antigens (most frequent alleles DR4 and DR2) in South American Indians. Some peculiar reactions shown by products of locus B suggest the presence of antigens that are characteristic of the Mapuche. As for the other systems, the frequencies of R1 (Rh) and PGM1(1) were lower but those for r (Rh), GLO1 and Hp1 were higher than the averages obtained considering previous studies of this ethnic group. Other salient findings were the variability observed in the PGM2 and C3 systems, and the low prevalence of Bfs.

Concurrent validity of WISC-R factor scores for educable mentally handicapped children.

The present study investigated the concurrent validity of the WISC-R Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, and Freedom from Distractibility factor scores relative to the Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic subtest standard scores obtained on the Wide Range Achievement Test. The sample of 46 students were identified as educable mentally handicapped in a public school setting. The results of separate bivariate analyses indicated that the WISC-R factor scores are not significantly correlated with achievement as measured by this achievement test. Implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed.