Incident depression in patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis: a multi-database study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Data on rates of newly diagnosed depression after multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis are sparse. Here, incident, treated depression in MS patients after diagnosis compared with matched non-MS patients is described. METHODS: A matched cohort study was conducted in two separate electronic medical databases: the US Department of Defense (US-DOD) military healthcare system and the UK's Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD (UK-CPRD). The study population included all patients with a first recorded diagnosis of MS and matched non-MS patients. Patients with a history of treated depression were excluded. Incidence rates and incidence rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals for treated depression after MS diagnosis/matched date were estimated. RESULTS: Incidence rate ratios of treated depression amongst MS patients compared with non-MS patients were 3.20 (95% confidence interval 3.05-3.35) in the US-DOD and 1.90 (95% confidence interval 1.74-2.06) in the UK-CPRD. Incidence rate ratios were elevated across age and sex. Rates were higher in females than males but, compared to non-MS patients, males with MS had a higher relative risk than females with MS. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple sclerosis patients in the UK and the USA have a two- to three-fold increased risk of new, treated depression compared to matched non-MS patients.

Thermal transport in epitaxial Si1-x Ge x alloy nanowires with varying composition and morphology.

We report on structural, compositional, and thermal characterization of self-assembled in-plane epitaxial Si1-x Ge x alloy nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Si (001) substrates. The thermal properties were studied by means of scanning thermal microscopy (SThM), while the microstructural characteristics, the spatial distribution of the elemental composition of the alloy nanowires and the sample surface were investigated by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis. We provide new insights regarding the morphology of the in-plane nanostructures, their size-dependent gradient chemical composition, and the formation of a 5 nm thick wetting layer on the Si substrate surface. In addition, we directly probe heat transfer between a heated scanning probe sensor and Si1-x Ge x alloy nanowires of different morphological characteristics and we quantify their thermal resistance variations. We correlate the variations of the thermal signal to the dependence of the heat spreading with the cross-sectional geometry of the nanowires using finite element method simulations. With this method we determine the thermal conductivity of the nanowires with values in the range of 2-3 W m-1 K-1. These results provide valuable information in growth processes and show the great capability of the SThM technique in ambient environment for nanoscale thermal studies, otherwise not possible using conventional techniques.

Thermal conductivity and air-mediated losses in periodic porous silicon membranes at high temperatures.

Heat conduction in silicon can be effectively engineered by means of sub-micrometre porous thin free-standing membranes. Tunable thermal properties make these structures good candidates for integrated heat management units such as waste heat recovery, rectification or efficient heat dissipation. However, possible applications require detailed thermal characterisation at high temperatures which, up to now, has been an experimental challenge. In this work we use the contactless two-laser Raman thermometry to study heat dissipation in periodic porous membranes at high temperatures via lattice conduction and air-mediated losses. We find the reduction of the thermal conductivity and its temperature dependence closely correlated with the structure feature size. On the basis of two-phonon Raman spectra, we attribute this behaviour to diffuse (incoherent) phonon-boundary scattering. Furthermore, we investigate and quantify the heat dissipation via natural air-mediated cooling, which can be tuned by engineering the porosity.Nanostructuring of silicon allows acoustic phonon engineering, but the mechanism of related thermal transport in these structures is not fully understood. Here, the authors study the heat dissipation in silicon membranes with periodic nanoholes and show the importance of incoherent scattering.

A novel contactless technique for thermal field mapping and thermal conductivity determination: two-laser Raman thermometry.

We present a novel contactless technique for thermal conductivity determination and thermal field mapping based on creating a thermal distribution of phonons using a heating laser, while a second laser probes the local temperature through the spectral position of a Raman active mode. The spatial resolution can be as small as 300 nm, whereas its temperature accuracy is ±2 K. We validate this technique investigating the thermal properties of three free-standing single crystalline Si membranes with thickness of 250, 1000, and 2000 nm. We show that for two-dimensional materials such as free-standing membranes or thin films, and for small temperature gradients, the thermal field decays as T(r) ∝ ln(r) in the diffusive limit. The case of large temperature gradients within the membranes leads to an exponential decay of the thermal field, T ∝ exp[ - A·ln(r)]. The results demonstrate the full potential of this new contactless method for quantitative determination of thermal properties. The range of materials to which this method is applicable reaches far beyond the here demonstrated case of Si, as the only requirement is the presence of a Raman active mode.

The evolution of quantitative traits in complex environments.

Species inhabit complex environments and respond to selection imposed by numerous abiotic and biotic conditions that vary in both space and time. Environmental heterogeneity strongly influences trait evolution and patterns of adaptive population differentiation. For example, heterogeneity can favor local adaptation, or can promote the evolution of plastic genotypes that alter their phenotypes based on the conditions they encounter. Different abiotic and biotic agents of selection can act synergistically to either accelerate or constrain trait evolution. The environmental context has profound effects on quantitative genetic parameters. For instance, heritabilities measured in controlled conditions often exceed those measured in the field; thus, laboratory experiments could overestimate the potential for a population to respond to selection. Nevertheless, most studies of the genetic basis of ecologically relevant traits are conducted in simplified laboratory environments, which do not reflect the complexity of nature. Here, we advocate for manipulative field experiments in the native ranges of plant species that differ in mating system, life-history strategy and growth form. Field studies are vital to evaluate the roles of disparate agents of selection, to elucidate the targets of selection and to develop a nuanced perspective on the evolution of quantitative traits. Quantitative genetics field studies will also shed light on the potential for natural populations to adapt to novel climates in highly fragmented landscapes. Drawing from our experience with the ecological model system Boechera (Brassicaceae), we discuss advancements possible through dedicated field studies, highlight future research directions and examine the challenges associated with field studies.

Nanoscale imaging of InN segregation and polymorphism in single vertically aligned InGaN/GaN multi quantum well nanorods by tip-enhanced Raman scattering.

Vertically aligned GaN nanorod arrays with nonpolar InGaN/GaN multi quantum wells (MQW) were grown by MOVPE on c-plane GaN-on-sapphire templates. The chemical and structural properties of single nanorods are optically investigated with a spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). This enables the local mapping of variations in the chemical composition, charge distribution, and strain in the MQW region of the nanorods. Nanoscale fluctuations of the In content in the InGaN layer of a few percent can be identified and visualized with a lateral resolution below 35 nm. We obtain evidence for the presence of indium clustering and the formation of cubic inclusions in the wurtzite matrix near the QW layers. These results are directly confirmed by high-resolution TEM images, revealing the presence of stacking faults and different polymorphs close to the surface near the MQW region. The combination of TERS and HRTEM demonstrates the potential of this nanoscale near-field imaging technique, establishing TERS as a very potent, comprehensive, and nondestructive tool for the characterization and optimization of technologically relevant semiconductor nanostructures.

Probing local strain and composition in Ge nanowires by means of tip-enhanced Raman scattering.

Local strain and Ge content distribution in self-assembled, in-plane Ge/Si nanowires grown by combining molecular beam epitaxy and the metal-catalyst assisted-growth method were investigated by tip-enhanced Raman scattering. We show that this technique is essential to study variations of physical properties of single wires at the nanoscale, a task which cannot be achieved with conventional micro-Raman scattering. As two major findings, we report that (i) the Ge distribution in the (001) crystallographic direction is inhomogeneous, displaying a gradient with a higher Ge content close to the top surface, and (ii) in contrast, the (uncapped) wires exhibit essentially the same small residual compressive strain everywhere along the wire.

Titanium-assisted growth of silica nanowires: from surface-matched to free-standing morphologies.

We report on an oxide-assisted growth technique for silica nanowires which allows tuning the growth from surface-matched nanowires to free-standing morphologies based on growth control by Ti in the role of a catalyst and surfactant. Using an adjustable Ti concentration, we grew silica nanowires with lengths ranging from 100 nm up to several millimetres whose defect chemistry was analysed by electron microscopy tools, monochromatic cathodoluminescence imaging and time resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. The knowledge of the luminescence properties and the related defect occurrence along with their spatial distribution is pivotal for advancing silica nanowire growth in order to realize successful device designs based on self-assembled Si/SiO(x) nanostructures. We demonstrate a core-shell structure of the grown nanowires with a highly luminescent 150 nm thick shell and outstandingly fast decaying dynamics (≈1 ns) for glass-like materials. The conjunction of the observed efficient and stable luminescences with their attributed decaying behaviours suggests applications for silica nanowires such as active and passive optical interconnectors and white light phosphors. The identification of a time domain difference for the spectral regime from 2.3 to 3.3 eV, within the confined spatial dimensions of a single nanowire, is very promising for future, e.g. data transmission applications, employing silica nanowires which exhibit achievable compatibility with commonly applied silicon-based electronics. A qualitative growth model based on silica particle diffusion and Ti-assisted seed formation is developed for the various types of segregated silica nanowires which extends commonly assumed oxide-assisted growth mechanisms.

Impacts of silvicultural thinning treatments on beetle trap captures and tree attacks during low bark beetle populations in ponderosa pine forests of northern Arizona.

Our research used a combination of passive traps, funnel traps with lures, baited trees, and surveys of long-term thinning plots to assess the impacts of different levels of stand basal area (BA) on bark beetle tree attack and on trap captures of Ips spp., Dendroctonus spp., and their predators. The study occurred at two sites in ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws., forests, from 2004 to 2007 during low bark beetle populations. Residual stand BA ranged from 9.0 to 37.0 m2/ha. More predators and bark beetles were collected in passive traps in stands of lower BA than in stands of higher BA; however, significance varied by species and site, and total number of beetles collected was low. Height of the clear panel passive traps affected trap catches for some species at some sites and years. When pheromone lures were used with funnel traps [Ips pini (Say) lure: lanierone, +03/-97 ipsdienol], we found no significant difference in trap catches among basal area treatments for bark beetles and their predators. Similarly, when trees were baited (Dendroctonus brevicomis LeConte lure: myrcene, exo-brevicomin and frontalin), we found no significant difference for days to first bark beetle attack. Surveys of long-term thinning treatments found evidence of bark beetle attacks only in unthinned plots (approximately 37 m2/ha basal area). We discuss our results in terms of management implications for bark beetle trapping and control.

Influence of temperature on spring flight initiation for southwestern ponderosa pine bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae).

Determination of temperature requirements for many economically important insects is a cornerstone of pest management. For bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), this information can facilitate timing of management strategies. Our goals were to determine temperature predictors for flight initiation of three species of Ips bark beetles, five species of Dendroctonus bark beetles, and two genera of bark beetle predators, Enoclerus spp. (Coleoptera: Cleridae) and Temnochila chlorodia (Mannerheim) (Coleoptera: Ostomidae), in ponderosa pine forests of northcentral Arizona. We quantified beetle flight activity using data loggers and pheromone-baited funnel traps at 18 sites over 4 yr. Ambient air temperature was monitored using temperature data loggers located in close proximity to funnel traps. We analyzed degree-day accumulation and differences between minimum, average, and maximum ambient temperature for the week before and week of first beetle capture to calculate flight temperature thresholds. Degree-day accumulation was not a good predictor for initiation of beetle flight. For all species analyzed other than D. adjunctus Blandford, beetles were captured in traps only when springtime temperatures exceeded 15.0 degrees C. D. adjunctus was collected when maximum temperatures reached only 14.5 degrees C. Once initial flights had begun, beetles were often captured when maximum ambient air temperatures were below initial threshold temperatures. Maximum and average air temperatures were a better predictor for beetle flight initiation than minimum temperature. We establish a temperature range for effective monitoring of bark beetles and their predators, and we discuss the implications of our results under climate change scenarios.

Dilatometric and mass spectrometric investigations on lithium ion battery anode materials.

Lithium ion batteries operate beyond the thermodynamic stability of the aprotic organic electrolyte used. In 1 M LiClO(4) propylene carbonate electrolyte, with and without the addition of ethylene sulfite as a film forming electrolyte additive, we have used in situ electrochemical dilatometry and on-line electrochemical mass spectrometry to study the volume expansion/contraction of graphitic anodes and the formation of propylene gas, which both can occur during the graphite anode reduction (charge) process. The combination of both methods allows us to get insights into the respective electrolyte reduction mechanisms. The results indicate that the major failure mechanisms of graphitic anodes in pure PC electrolyte can be attributed to the intercalation of solvated lithium ions and the formation of propylene gas, which causes the graphite particles to exfoliate and crack.

Use of bispectral electroencephalogram monitoring to assess neurologic status in unsedated, critically ill patients.

OBJECTIVE: To test whether spectral indices derived from the electroencephalogram (EEG), and especially the bispectral index (BIS), can be used as measures of neurologic status in unsedated, critically ill patients. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. SETTING: Medical intensive care unit (ICU) of a university-affiliated teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty-one awake, unsedated critically ill adults were assessed in 108 separate sessions. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In each session, severity of illness was assessed by the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE III). The APACHE III Acute Physiology Score was used to quantify the degree of physiologic derangement. Neurologic function was assessed using the APACHE III Neurologic Score, the Glasgow Coma Scale, the Reaction Level Scale, and the Modified Ramsay Sedation Scale. All indices were plotted against various spectral parameters of the EEG, including BIS, an empirical index of EEG activity that is scaled from 0 to 100. BIS was significantly (p <.05) correlated with neurologic score regardless of scoring system used and was more strongly correlated than any other EEG spectral parameter. Better neurologic function was associated with higher values of BIS. In multivariate analysis, the combination of BIS and relative power in the theta band of the EEG accounted for 38% of the variability in the Glasgow Coma Scale. CONCLUSIONS: BIS provides a reliable index of neurologic status in awake, unsedated, critically ill patients. Further research is needed to determine whether the effects of neurologic status and pharmacologic sedation upon EEG are additive, whether BIS can be used to assess pharmacologic sedation in the critically ill patient population, and whether such objective measures of neurologic status have prognostic value.

Fibrillar amyloid beta-protein binds protease nexin-2/amyloid beta-protein precursor: stimulation of its inhibition of coagulation factor XIa.

Cerebrovascular deposition of fibrillar 39-42 amino acid amyloid beta-protein (Abeta), a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), is a key pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders including hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis-Dutch type (HCHWA-D). Severe cases of CAA, particularly in HCHWA-D, lead to recurrent and often fatal hemorrhagic strokes. Although the reasons for this pathological consequence remain unclear, alterations in proteolytic hemostasis mechanisms have been implicated. For example, the Abeta parent molecule protease nexin-2/amyloid beta-protein precursor (PN-2/AbetaPP), which is elevated in HCHWA-D cerebral vessels with Abeta deposits, is a potent inhibitor of coagulation factor XIa (FXIa). Here we show that fibrillar HCHWA-D Abeta binds PN-2/AbetaPP, but not its isolated Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor (KPI) domain, in a saturable, dose-dependent manner with a K(d) of approximately 28 nM. Neither PN-2/AbetaPP nor its KPI domain bound to nonfibrillar HCHWA-D Abeta. The fibrillar Abeta binding domain on PN-2/AbetaPP was localized to residues 18-119. PN-2/AbetaPP that bound to fibrillar HCHWA-D Abeta immobilized either in plastic wells or on the surface of cultured cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells was active in inhibiting FXIa. Quantitative kinetic measurements revealed that fibrillar HCHWA-D Abeta caused a >5-fold enhancement of FXIa inhibition by PN-2/AbetaPP. Similar stimulatory effects on FXIa inhibition by PN-2/AbetaPP were also observed with fibrillar wild-type Abeta. However, fibrillar Abeta had no effect on the inhibition of trypsin by PN-2/AbetaPP. These findings suggest that fibrillar Abeta deposits in cerebral vessels can effectively localize and enhance the anticoagulant functions of PN-2/AbetaPP, thereby contributing to a microenvironment conducive to hemorrhaging.

Influence of induced water stress in ponderosa pine on pine sawflies.

Three levels of water stress were induced on pole-size ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) to determine the influence of plant moisture stress on oviposition, survival, and growth of two species of pine sawfly (Neodiprion fulviceps and N. autumnalis). It was found that water stress affected oviposition and subsequent egg survival but not larval development or survival. Stress had a negative effect on early season oviposition (N. fulviceps) and a positive effect on late season oviposition (N. autumnalis). Egg hatch was different between species and years and among treatment levels. Larval development, feeding, and survival were not affected by water stress. Overall, the effect of stress was not sufficient to explain population outbreaks of sawflies. Several hypotheses are presented as possible explanations for the observed experimental results.

Influence of watering and trenching ponderosa pine on a pine sawfly.

Neodiprion autumnalis (Smith) larvae were caged for two successive years on root-trenched, watered, and untreated ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Doug. ex Laws.) to determine effects of host moisture stress on larval feeding. Levels of moisture stress (as measured by the Scholander pressure chamber) differed significantly among treatment levels during 1984 and 1985 larval feeding periods. Differences in larval feeding success were not detected in 1984. In 1985, however, larvae on trenched (stressed) trees clipped and rejected more foliage, consumed more needles, had lower pupal weights, lower survival, and a longer feeding period than larvae on watered or untreated trees. Frass production did not differ among treatment levels. The length of the feeding period was shorter for larvae on watered trees than for larvae on untreated trees, but other measures of feeding success did not significantly differ between watered and untreated trees.

Influence of diterpene resin acids on feeding and growth of larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig).

Diterpene resin acids significantly affect consumption rates, feeding efficiencies, and growth rates of the larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig) when topically applied to their natural food, tamarackLarix laricina (DuRoi) K. Koch. Abietic acid, neoabietic acid, dehydroabietic acid, and isopimaric acid significantly reduced consumption rates, feeding efficiencies, and growth rates. Sandaracopimaric acid reduced growth and efficiency but did not influence consumption rate. Two-way analysis of variance indicates a significant interaction between chemical and concentration for growth rate, feeding efficiency, and consumption rate. This interaction indicates that increasing chemical concentrations do not influence the larch sawfly in a uniform manner, supporting the concept of concentration-dependent biological activity of allelochemics.

Allelochemics and nutritional indices for larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig): A specialist feeding onLarix spp.

Nutritional indices for larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig), larvae fed single and tufted needles of fourLarix spp. are reported. Larvae offered only single needles ofL. lancina, L. russica, andL. decidua had lower relative growth rates than larvae fed tufted needles of the same species. There was no significant reduction in larval growth for larvae fedL. kaempferi single needles as compared to tufted needles. Abietic acid-treated foliage reduced consumption but did not lower relative growth rate. These findings are discussed with respect to the mechanism of preferential feeding of the larch sawfly and current hypotheses of host plant herbivore interaction.

Chemical basis of differential feeding behavior of the larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig).

The machanisms by which the larvae of the larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig), are prevented from feeding on the single needles of the new shoot of tamarack,Larix laricina (DuRoi) K. Koch, were studied. As a result of extensive purification attempts, five deterrent chemicals were isolated and identified. They are: abietic, dehydroabietic, 12-methoxyabietic, sandaracopimaric, and isopimaric acid. These chemicals, particularly the first two, are abundant in mid-July to August in the single needles and, apparently, provide the basis for the deterrency against the larval feeding.