Time-resolved relaxation and fragmentation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons investigated in the ultrafast XUV-IR regime.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) play an important role in interstellar chemistry and are subject to high energy photons that can induce excitation, ionization, and fragmentation. Previous studies have demonstrated electronic relaxation of parent PAH monocations over 10-100 femtoseconds as a result of beyond-Born-Oppenheimer coupling between the electronic and nuclear dynamics. Here, we investigate three PAH molecules: fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene, using ultrafast XUV and IR laser pulses. Simultaneous measurements of the ion yields, ion momenta, and electron momenta as a function of laser pulse delay allow a detailed insight into the various molecular processes. We report relaxation times for the electronically excited PAH*, PAH+* and PAH2+* states, and show the time-dependent conversion between fragmentation pathways. Additionally, using recoil-frame covariance analysis between ion images, we demonstrate that the dissociation of the PAH2+ ions favors reaction pathways involving two-body breakup and/or loss of neutral fragments totaling an even number of carbon atoms.

[The Evaluation of the German Federal Law of Equal Treatment of Disabled Persons]. / Die Evaluation des Behindertengleichstellungsgesetzes Rechtliche Aussagen und empirische Ergebnisse zur Barrierefreiheit im Bereich der gesetzlichen Krankenkassen.

The German federal law of equal treatment of disabled persons (Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz des Bundes, BGG) came into effect in 2002. An evaluation of this law was required by the national plan of action for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Project evaluation objectives were to estimate whether the needs of disabled persons were being met and whether the instruments proved to be adequate for fulfilling the aims of the law. Jurisprudential analyses in combination with surveys were used for this research. It was found that the BGG still lacks adequate publicity. Its impact, however, was assessed as positive. Results also indicate that there might be some shortcomings with regard to accessibility. For a closer examination, however, more data focusing on accessibility in the context of health care and rehabilitation is.

[Company integration management in small and medium-sized companies. Legal requirements and prerequisites for successful implementation]. / Betriebliches Eingliederungsmanagement in Klein- und Mittelbetrieben. Rechtliche Anforderungen und Voraussetzungen einer erfolgreichen Umsetzung.

UNLABELLED: The article is based on the results of the project "Company integration management in small and medium-sized companies. Legal requirements and prerequisites for a successful implementation" (01 January 2009-31 August 2010). BACKGROUND: Since 2004 all employers have been legally bound to offer company integration management (BEM, Betriebliches Eingliederungsmanagement) for all employees who have been incapacitated for work for more than 6 weeks within a year (Section 84 SGB IX, Book 9 of the German Social Code). Objective of this law is to ensure ongoing employment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the requirements companies, rehabilitation centres and services as well as social insurance institutions are faced with according to Section 84 SGB IX. Prerequisites for an effective implementation of BEM in small and medium-sized enterprises were analyzed. METHOD: Protocol-based interviews with experts were adopted. A total of 38 interviews with experts were carried out. The experts interviewed were either willing to give information by interest (concernment) or were named by law as an initiator or co-operator in the process of integration. A substantial literature research was performed in advance of the interviews. RESULTS: The awareness level of BEM is still very low even 7 years after its introduction. Small and medium-sized enterprises do not have any significant experiential knowledge of long-term incapacity for work and, hence, about BEM. Due to a lack of workers representation in many small and medium companies, management does not receive initiatives or support in implementation of BEM from employees' side. Employers prefer a central contact point providing them with the information and help needed, the common service units, however, being widely unknown in this context. Cost comparisons suggest that a company integration management might be more cost-effective than dismissing employees who are incapacitated for some fields of work. These findings might even hold true for small and medium-sized companies. Social insurance institutions are aware of company integration management; however there is a substantial lack of experience. There is some evidence that incentives and bonuses according to Section 84, 3 SGB IX would not have any significant impact on the implementation of company integration management in small and medium-sized enterprises. POLICY RECOMMENDATION: All relevant actors in the field of company integration management should reassess their possibilities to advocate integration management. Not only employees but also employers and social security institutions will benefit from comprehensive implementation of company integration management.

Method for the description of differences in the filamentous structure of the cytoskeleton in cultured cells.

Over the last few years in vitro cell systems have been established for toxicological investigations. These systems permit the evaluation of effects on the basis of cultured cells in order to replace animal studies. Not only qualitative assessment of cytotoxic effects, but also efforts to quantify these intracellular changes have become more and more important to objectify the results which have been obtained. The cytoskeleton, a dynamic and sensitive system, seems to be a valuable morphological parameter to gain information about the intracellular alterations of drug-influenced cells. Depending on the dose of the substance administered, the cytoskeleton shows morphological alterations in specific components, which fulfill structural as well as metabolic regulatory functions and thus provide information on possible mechanisms. Normally, microtubules as well as the intermediate filament system from 3-dimensional networks. Treatment may induce contraction or depolymerization of the filamentous proteins. These alterations, seen in immunofluorescent preparations, can be quantified by means of a 2-dimensional Fourier transformation. As there is no statistical method to compare different spectra, the spatial frequency spectrum of the Fourier components has to be transformed to a 1-dimensional array. This step is performed by measuring the optical density of localised areas in the frequency spectrum. Using this transformation it is possible to compare the Fourier spectra belonging to different treatment groups.

Can charge recombination as caused by pH-dependent donor-side limitation in PS 2 account for high-energy-state quenching?

Schreiber and Neubauer (Photosynthesis Research 25: 279-293, 1990) have proposed a model which explains energy quenching by enhanced triplet formation as caused by charge recombination due to pH-dependent donor-side limitation. Quenching under these conditions is assumed to result from two mechanisms. Firstly, there is the withdrawal of excited states by charge recombination and formation of triplet states. Secondly, these triplet states can result in carotenoid triplets in the antenna which are supposed to quench excitons. Here, it is shown that quenching caused by both mechanisms can account for only about 25% of the experimentally observed energy quenching even under extremely favorable conditions. More likely, this number is less than 15%, as the contribution of the second step in the proposed triplet cycle is expected to be low as the life times of the carotenoid triplets are not long enough to cause the assumed quenching of excitons in the antenna.

Accidental and homicidal death in a psychiatric emergency room population.

To identify potentially preventable mortality other than suicide among psychiatric emergency room patients, the authors compared the rates of accidental and homicidal death among 5,284 consecutive psychiatric emergency room patients with those expected for an age-, sex-, and race-matched sample of the general population. The rate of accidental death was two and one-half times and the rate of homicidal death nearly twice the expected rate for the matched general population. Diagnostic and demographic analyses indicated that increased risk of death from either cause was highest among alcoholics, schizophrenic patients, and males. The implications of the findings for clinical care are discussed.

Suicide in a psychiatric emergency room population.

Twenty-two suicides were identified in a series of 5,284 psychiatric emergency room patients, yielding a suicide rate of 111.1 per 100,000 "patient-years at risk"--more than seven times the age- and sex-adjusted rate for the general population. Subpopulations at high risk were white people, men, depressed and schizophrenic patients, substance abusers, and patients with multiple emergency room visits. No patients had killed themselves immediately after an emergency room visit, but several had killed themselves without following through on a referral from the emergency room to another facility for treatment. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for emergency room practice and for further research.

Christmas and psychopathology. Data from a psychiatric emergency room population.

It is widely believed among psychiatrists and laymen alike that Christmas and other holidays are associated with an increased incidence of psychopathology. Statistical studies, however, consistently have been shown the Christmas season to be associated with a low incidence of suicide and psychiatric hospitalization. The present study examines the number and type of visits to a 24-hour psychiatric emergency service over a seven-year period. There is a decrease in the number of visits during the days and weeks before Christmas and an increase of roughly the same magnitude afterward. The effect is more prominent for women and older persons but does not seem to differentially affect persons of different racial, marital, or diagnostic status.

Effects of alcohol on psychomotor performance of women: interaction with menstrual cycle.

The effects of alcohol on performance were investigated in 10 ovulating young women. Placebo drink and three doses of alcohol were administered in a random order both during follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. The women had significantly slower verbal information processing rate and poorer visual detection performance during the follicular than the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. In psychomotor tasks other than tracking, dose--response relationships of alcohol were different during the different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Effects of age and alcohol on psychomotor performance of men.

Age and low doses of alcohol had a synergistic deleterious effect on subjects' performance on a continuous tracking task.

Stress and adaptation in later life.

The effects of five major life events, and of three types of resources, on the physical and social-psychological adaptation of 375 participants in a longitudinal study were examined. As expected, medical events had the most impact on physical adaptation, but they had surprisingly little impact on social-psychological adaptation. Retirement had the most negative social-psychological effects, but had little effect on physical adaptation. The other three events had even less effects, although multiple events tended to cumulate in impact. Better physical resources helped only physical adaptation, and better psychological and social resources mainly helped satisfaction. It appears that most of these potential stressors have less serious long-term outcomes than the crisis orientation would suggest.

Treatment goals in geropsychiatry.

Each geriatric patient has observable problems which can generate treatment goals implemented by a treatment plan. Extensive record keeping would be required to document this tripartite scheme. In practice, either problem-oriented or goal-oriented records are used. Problem records tend to drift toward a goal concept, since problems are usually stated in only sufficient detail to serve as a guide to treatment. The results of a problem-oriented format are described for 143 state hospital patients whose mean age was 74 years. The most common number of problems was 5 per patient. Physical problems were the most frequent (N equals 456), followed by behavioral (N equals 203), thought-related (N equals 156), administrative (N equals 99), affective (N equals 69), and attitudinal (N equals 10). The author's experience with both systems leaves them with preference for the problem-oriented system with geriatric patients since physical problems are so numerous.

Laser pumping by intense discharges in z-pinch geometry.

Optical properties of high-current, low-pressure, noble-gas discharges in z-pinch geometry are studied and compared with theta-pinch discharges and standard commercial light sources. Results indicate possible usefulness in systems where high peak power, high repetition rates or high uv content are demanded.