Modular multipin electrodes for comfortable dry EEG.

Electrode and cap concepts for continuous and ubiquitous monitoring of brain activity will open up new fields of application and contribute to increased use of electroencephalography (EEG) in clinical routine, neurosciences, brain-computer-interfacing and out-of-the-lab monitoring. However, mobile and unobtrusive applications are currently hindered by the lack of applicable convenient and reliable electrode and cap systems. We propose a novel modular electrode concept based on a flexible polymer substrate, coated with electrically conductive metallic films. The overall concept enables design adaptation to different head regions and cap designs. We describe the single modules of the system and investigate the influence of electrode pin number, coating material and adduction force on electrode-skin impedance and perceived wearing comfort. Our results contribute to rapid and comfortable multichannel dry EEG.

Updated Next-to-Next-to-Leading-Order QCD Predictions for the Weak Radiative B-Meson Decays.

Weak radiative decays of the B mesons belong to the most important flavor changing processes that provide constraints on physics at the TeV scale. In the derivation of such constraints, accurate standard model predictions for the inclusive branching ratios play a crucial role. In the current Letter we present an update of these predictions, incorporating all our results for the O(α_{s}^{2}) and lower-order perturbative corrections that have been calculated after 2006. New estimates of nonperturbative effects are taken into account, too. For the CP- and isospin-averaged branching ratios, we find B_{sγ}=(3.36±0.23)×10^{-4} and B_{dγ}=(1.73_{-0.22}^{+0.12})×10^{-5}, for E_{γ}>1.6 GeV. Both results remain in agreement with the current experimental averages. Normalizing their sum to the inclusive semileptonic branching ratio, we obtain R_{γ}≡(B_{sγ}+B_{dγ})/B_{cℓν}=(3.31±0.22)×10^{-3}. A new bound from B_{sγ} on the charged Higgs boson mass in the two-Higgs-doublet-model II reads M_{H^{±}}>480 GeV at 95% C.L.

Novel Multipin Electrode Cap System for Dry Electroencephalography.

Current usage of electroencephalography (EEG) is limited to laboratory environments. Self-application of a multichannel wet EEG caps is practically impossible, since the application of state-of-the-art wet EEG sensors requires trained laboratory staff. We propose a novel EEG cap system with multipin dry electrodes overcoming this problem. We describe the design of a novel 24-pin dry electrode made from polyurethane and coated with Ag/AgCl. A textile cap system holds 97 of these dry electrodes. An EEG study with 20 volunteers compares the 97-channel dry EEG cap with a conventional 128-channel wet EEG cap for resting state EEG, alpha activity, eye blink artifacts and checkerboard pattern reversal visual evoked potentials. All volunteers report a good cap fit and good wearing comfort. Average impedances are below 150 kΩ for 92 out of 97 dry electrodes, enabling recording with standard EEG amplifiers. No significant differences are observed between wet and dry power spectral densities for all EEG bands. No significant differences are observed between the wet and dry global field power time courses of visual evoked potentials. The 2D interpolated topographic maps show significant differences of 3.52 and 0.44% of the map areas for the N75 and N145 VEP components, respectively. For the P100 component, no significant differences are observed. Dry multipin electrodes integrated in a textile EEG cap overcome the principle limitations of wet electrodes, allow rapid application of EEG multichannel caps by non-trained persons, and thus enable new fields of application for multichannel EEG acquisition.

Novel flexible Dry multipin electrodes for EEG: Signal quality and interfacial impedance of Ti and TiN coatings.

Conventional Silver/Silver-Chloride electrodes are inappropriate for routine high-density EEG and emerging new fields of application like brain computer interfaces. A novel multipin electrode design is proposed. It enables rapid and easy application while maintaining signal quality and patient comfort. The electrode design is described and impedance and EEG tests are performed with Titanium and Titanium Nitride coated electrodes. The results are compared to conventional reference electrodes in a multi-volunteer study. The calculated signal parameters prove the multipin electrode concept to reproducibly acquire EEG signal quality comparable to Ag/AgCl electrodes. The promising results encourage further investigation and can provide a technological base for future preparation-free multichannel EEG systems.

Assessing the risk of ships striking large whales in marine spatial planning.

Marine spatial planning provides a comprehensive framework for managing multiple uses of the marine environment and has the potential to minimize environmental impacts and reduce conflicts among users. Spatially explicit assessments of the risks to key marine species from human activities are a requirement of marine spatial planning. We assessed the risk of ships striking humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), blue (Balaenoptera musculus), and fin (Balaenoptera physalus) whales in alternative shipping routes derived from patterns of shipping traffic off Southern California (U.S.A.). Specifically, we developed whale-habitat models and assumed ship-strike risk for the alternative shipping routes was proportional to the number of whales predicted by the models to occur within each route. This definition of risk assumes all ships travel within a single route. We also calculated risk assuming ships travel via multiple routes. We estimated the potential for conflict between shipping and other uses (military training and fishing) due to overlap with the routes. We also estimated the overlap between shipping routes and protected areas. The route with the lowest risk for humpback whales had the highest risk for fin whales and vice versa. Risk to both species may be ameliorated by creating a new route south of the northern Channel Islands and spreading traffic between this new route and the existing route in the Santa Barbara Channel. Creating a longer route may reduce the overlap between shipping and other uses by concentrating shipping traffic. Blue whales are distributed more evenly across our study area than humpback and fin whales; thus, risk could not be ameliorated by concentrating shipping traffic in any of the routes we considered. Reducing ship-strike risk for blue whales may be necessary because our estimate of the potential number of strikes suggests that they are likely to exceed allowable levels of anthropogenic impacts established under U.S. laws.

Impedance pneumography using textile electrodes.

The acquisition of physiological parameters using textile and textile-integrated sensors has become an important alternative for mobile and long-term monitoring. We analyzed to different commercially available electrically conductive textiles concerning their applicability for textile-based impedance pneumography. We immersed the textiles to four corroding solutions and observed no considerable changes in the absolute value as well as the phase shift of the material impedances. Subsequently, we performed impedance pneumography tests with different current amplitudes and frequencies. Using silver coated synthetic textile electrodes it was possible to detect the correct respiration frequency during normal, flat as well as slow, deep respiration.

Dissolution of magnetically marked tablets: investigations in a physical phantom.

Pharmacological research is strongly driven by maximizing the bioavailability of new pharmaceuticals. For orally applied drugs the bioavailability highly depends on the process of dissolution in the gastrointestinal tract and is affected by numerous physiological and environmental factors. Available techniques for in vivo monitoring of the dissolution process are very limited and not applicable for large studies. The technique of magnetic marker monitoring provides new prospects for these investigations. However, it is currently limited due to low fields common magnetic markers produce. Hence, only highly sensitive sensors are applicable. In this paper, we performed dissolution tests of novel markers in a physical phantom with magnetoresistive sensors in an unshielded environment. The markers were continuously localized and the movement through the phantom was tracked. By analyzing the changing magnetic moment of the markers we were able to monitor the progress of dissolution in the phantom. We conclude that our proposed phantom and tracking technique is an important step towards new systems for in vivo monitoring of pharmaceutical dissolution processes.

Facial emotional expression in reaction to social exclusion in borderline personality disorder.

BACKGROUND: Disturbances in social interaction are a defining feature of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). In this study, facial emotional expressions, which are crucial for adaptive interactions in social contexts, were assessed in patients with BPD in response to social exclusion. METHOD: We examined facial emotional reactions of 35 patients with BPD and 33 healthy controls when playing Cyberball, a virtual ball-tossing game that reliably induces social exclusion. Besides self-reported emotional responses, facial emotional expressions were analyzed by applying the Emotional Facial Action Coding System (EMFACS). RESULTS: Patients with BPD showed a biased perception of participation. They more readily reported feeling excluded compared to controls even when they were included. In BPD, social exclusion led to an increase in self-reported other-focused negative emotions. Overall, EMFACS analyses revealed that BPD patients reacted with fewer positive expressions and with significantly more mixed emotional expressions (two emotional facial expressions at the same time) compared to the healthy control group when excluded. CONCLUSIONS: Besides a negative bias for perceived social participation, ambiguous facial emotional expressions may play an important role in the disturbed relatedness in patients with BPD.

High frequency oscillations evoked by peripheral magnetic stimulation.

The analysis of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) and / or fields (SEF) is a well-established and important tool for investigating the functioning of the peripheral and central human nervous system. A standard technique to evoke SEPs / SEFs is the stimulation of the median nerve by using a bipolar electrical stimulus. We aim at an alternative stimulation technique enabling stimulation of deep nerve structures while reducing patient stress and error susceptibility. In the current study, we apply a commercial transcranial magnetic stimulation system for peripheral magnetic stimulation of the median nerve. We compare the results of simultaneously recorded EEG signals to prove applicability of our technique to evoke SEPs including low frequency components (LFC) as well as high frequency oscillations (HFO). Therefore, we compare amplitude, latency and time-frequency characteristics of the SEP of 14 healthy volunteers after electric and magnetic stimulation. Both low frequency components and high frequency oscillations were detected. The HFOs were superimposed onto the primary cortical response N20. Statistical analysis revealed significantly lower amplitudes and increased latencies for LFC and HFO components after magnetic stimulation. The differences indicate the inability of magnetic stimulation to elicit supramaximal responses. A psycho-perceptual evaluation showed that magnetic stimulation was less unpleasant for 12 out of the 14 volunteers. In conclusion, we showed that LFC and HFO components related to median nerve stimulation can be evoked by peripheral magnetic stimulation.

Novel flexible dry PU/TiN-multipin electrodes: first application in EEG measurements.

Dry biosignal electrodes for electro-encephalography (EEG) are an essential step for realization of ubiquitous EEG monitoring and brain computer interface technologies. We propose a novel electrode design with a specific shape for hair layer interfusion and reliable skin contact. An electrically conductive Titanium-Nitride (TiN) thin layer is deposited on a polyurethane substrate using a multiphase DC magnetron sputtering technique. In the current paper we describe the development and manufacturing of the electrode. Furthermore, we perform comparative EEG measurements with conventional Ag/AgCl electrodes in a 6-channel setup. Our results are promising, as the primary shape of the EEG is preserved in the signals of both electrodes sets, according to recordings of spontaneous EEG and visual evoked potentials. The variance of both signals is in the same order of magnitude. The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney two-sample rank-sum test revealed no significant differences for 25 of the 28 compared signal episodes. Hence, our novel electrodes show equivalent signal quality compared to conventional Ag/AgCl electrodes.

Superficial acral fibromyxoma of the distal phalanx of the thumb.

Superficial acral fibromyxoma is an uncommon benign tumour which was first described recently (Fetsch et al., 2001, Human Pathology 32: 704-714). It has been reported several times since, suggesting it is more common than initially thought.

[Borderline personality disorder and attentional biases. Theoretical models and empirical findings]. / Borderline-Störung und Verzerrungen der Aufmerksamkeit. Theoretische Modelle und empirische Befunde.

The purpose of this review is to analyse nature, degree and consequences of attentional biases in patients with borderline personality disorder based on existing literature. The clinical importance of these phenomena in patients with borderline personality disorder is strengthened and the link between theoretical models, empirical findings and therapeutic interventions is elaborated. This link between selective attention and borderline personality disorder is demonstrated on the basis of studies, which indicate a context between borderline pathology, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders and also give evidence to neuropsychological deficits in patients with borderline personality disorder. The present article comparatively describes three theoretical models of borderline personality disorder and their possible links to attentional biases. The dialectical behavior approach postulates a pronounced attentional narrowing to emotional stimuli in connection with deficits regarding affect regulation. The cognitive approach assumes that rigid dysfunctional schemata initiate a cognitive-emotional circuit, which leads to a reinforcement of the symptomatology as a result of a biased perception and memory. Additionally the present article specifies the trauma approach which emphasizes the relation between borderline pathology and childhood trauma with recourse to theories of attentional biases in patients with traumatic experiences. Preliminary empiricial findings suggest that patients with borderline personality disorder demonstrate a general attentional bias for any emotional negative stimuli and not a selective attentional bias to borderline-specific stimuli. Further studies should clarify, whether therapeutical interventions with the aim to influence attentional processes represent a useful complement to established therapies in patients with borderline personality disorder.

[Effect of personality factors and structure on the course of major depression]. / Einfluss von Persönlichkeitsfaktoren und -struktur auf den Verlauf der Major-Depression.

The extent to which personality characteristics predict the course of severe depression has been controversially discussed. In a sample of 50 depressed inpatients, the significance of personality characteristics for the prediction of relapse was studied prospectively over 2 years. More than half of the patients studied suffered relapses within this period. Well-known predictors such as the number of previous episodes were confirmed. The personality characteristics studied showed different predictive effects at 1- and 2-year follow-up. Neurosis proved predictive of the 1-year course and outcome but not the 2-year course. In the 2nd year of follow-up, a melancholic personality structure was associated with favourable outcome. This personality type therefore seems to be more appropriate as a predictor of long-term outcome. Comparison with predictive factors described earlier showed that in this study, personality traits influence outcome independently and were not confused by other predictors. Implications for relapse prevention and psychotherapeutic management are discussed.

[How myths and prejudices about psychotherapy hamper the ongoing process of psychotherapy-integration]. / "Störungsspezifisch" versus "Allgemein"?--Wie Mythen und Vorurteile über die Psychotherapieschulen eine sinnvolle Integration behindern.

Some frequently encountered myths and prejudices about psychotherapy are addressed, which severely hamper the integration of different forms of psychotherapy. Discrepant positions and polarities can be described as (a) individualized problem analysis vs. standardized disorder specific treatment planning, (b) one-sided pay attention to deficits vs. one sided take into consideration resources and coping-styles, (c) therapeutic technique vs. therapeutic alliance, and (d) biographical analysis vs. analysis of current life circumstances. The attempt to create balance between these biased polarities and perspectives is considered to be characteristic of modern psychotherapy approaches. Only research strategies including an encompassing perspective, a disorder specific as well as a comparative approach to study the different effects of different schools of psychotherapy will provide answers to the fundamental questions of present psychotherapy research.

Ki-1 anaplastic large-cell lymphoma occurring at the site of ileocolonic anastomosis in a patient treated surgically for colonic adenocarcinoma: case report and review of the literature.

Systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma is an uncommon type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by strong expression of the Ki-1 (CD30) antigen. Gastrointestinal involvement typically is less common than in other types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We report a case of CD30-positive anaplastic large-cell lymphoma occurring at the site of colonic anastomosis in an elderly patient who had been treated for colonic adenocarcinoma by right hemicolectomy 10 years previously. The lymphoma was a 2-cm mass composed of large, atypical cells infiltrating the mucosa, submucosa, and muscularis propria. Immunoperoxidase stain was strongly positive for Ki-1, and negative for LeuM1, L26, UCHL1, EMA, and cytokeratin. There have been numerous reports of unusual extranodal presentations of systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma; the only previously reported case involving the colon, however, occurred in the context of ulcerative colitis. Anastomotic recurrence is a relatively common complication of surgical therapy for adenocarcinoma, but the recurrent tumors are invariably adenocarcinomas. We are aware of no cases of lymphoma of any type occurring at the site of anastomosis after resection for adenocarcinoma.

Nonsaponifiable lipid components of the pollen of elder (Sambucus nigra L.).

Pollen of the elder (Sambucus nigra L.) was extracted with chloroform-methanol. The extract was separated by column chromatography into the following groups of compounds: hydrocarbons (8.7%). polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (0.2%), complex esters (5.2%), triglycerides (18.7%), hydroxy esters (27.9%), free fatty acids and alcohols (16.8%), free sterols (6.8%), and triterpenic alcohols (4.0%). The nonsaponifiable components (hydrocarbons, fatty acids, alcohols, and sterols) were examined in detail using spectroscopic and chromatographic methods (IR spectroscopy, GC, and GC-MS). The identified compounds were characterized by their mass spectra and Kováts retention indices. The double bond positions and their configurations in unsaturated compounds are also reported.

Simocyclinones: diversity of metabolites is dependent on fermentation conditions.

Simocyclinones, a novel group of angucyclinone antibiotics, are produced by Streptomyces antibioticus Tü 6040. The compounds show antibacterial and antitumor properties. In submerged cultivation, the production of simocyclinones is strongly dependent on the carbon and nitrogen sources used in a chemically defined medium. Productivity of distinct components and diversity of simocyclinone compounds are influenced by the medium composition. Four series of simocyclinone compounds were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) diode array detector (DAD) and HPLC electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, isolated and the structures determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. Under optimized conditions, simocyclinone D8 was produced in an amount of 300 mg l(-1) and simocyclinone C4 in a concentration up to 50 mg l(-1).

Reconfirming the role of life events for the timing of depressive episodes. A two-year prospective follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Since the 1960s the association of stressful life events and depression seemed to be firmly established. However, a few recent studies did not confirm those earlier findings. One of the reasons discussed for the inconsistencies was the sampling of milder depressed neurotic out-patients in the earlier studies vs. more severely ill endogenous type in-patients in recent studies. METHODS: This investigation was carried out with 50 consecutively admitted in-patients with endogenous depression according to ICD 9 and unipolar major depression according to DSM-III-R as ascertained by SCID. The control sample consisted of 26 healthy volunteers. Life events and chronic distressing life conditions were recorded with the Munich Interview for the Assessment of Life Events and Conditions (MEL) every 3 months over a period of 2 years along with psychopathological symptoms and recurrencies. Hence the design was prospective in the sense that life events were recorded for one 3-month cross-section, the depressive reaction for the subsequent one. BDI scores taken at the respective cross section were used to control for depressive bias of the subjective part of the patient's life event evaluation. RESULTS: Three months prior to the index hospitalization patients were more often affected by life events and conditions than controls. The number of stressful conditions prior to the index hospitalization indicated the time to relapse after discharge. Controls showed more desirable positive conditions than patients. Relapse patients suffered more often stressful life events and conditions than non-relapsers 3 months prior to their relapse. Multivariate analysis indicates that the cumulative number of life events within the 2-year course is the best predictor of the BDI score at the end of the follow-up period. LIMITATIONS: Since the subjective component of life event assessment by MEL displayed a higher impact on the course of depression than the objective part of the assessment, confounding of subjective ratings, attributional styles, and depressive symptoms may be a problem although controlled for in this study. CONCLUSION: The results support the importance of stressful life events and chronic distressing conditions for the 2-year course and outcome of major depression in an in-patient sample. Since the overall consistency of significant results was more pronounced in the subjective than in the objective part of the MEL the results fit best a circular pathogenetic model of interactions between life events, their individual evaluation by the patient, and depressive symptoms.