Legal medical consideration of alzheimer’s disease patients’ dysgraphia and cognitive dysfunction: a 6 month follow up

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients to express intentions and desires, and their decision-making capacity. This study examines the findings from a 6-month follow-up of our previous results in which 30 patients participated. Materials and methods: The patient’s cognition was examined by conducting the tests of 14 questions and letter-writing ability over a period of 19 days, and it was repeated after 6 months. The difference between these two cognitive measures (PQ1 before–PQ2 before), tested previously and later the writing test, was designated DΔ before. The test was repeated after 6 months, and PQ1 after–PQ2 after was designated DΔ after. Results: Several markedly strong relationships between dysgraphia and other measures of cognitive performance in AD patients were observed. The most aged patients (over 86 years), despite less frequency, maintain the cognitive capacity manifested in the graphic expressions. A document, written by an AD patient presents an honest expression of the patient’s intention if that document is legible, clear, and comprehensive. Conclusion: The identification of impairment/deficits in writing and cognition during different phases of AD may facilitate the understanding of disease progression and identify the occasions during which the patient may be considered sufficiently lucid to make decisions. Keywords: cognition, intentions, unfit to plead, consen

Affective Spectrum Disorders in an Urban Swedish Adult Psychiatric Unit: A Descriptive Study

Background. Several studies have found that patients with affective-/anxiety-/stress-related syndromes present overlapping features such as cooccurrence within families and individuals and response to the same type of pharmacological treatment, suggesting that these syndromes share pathogenetic mechanisms. The term affective spectrum disorder (AfSD) has been suggested, emphasizing these commonalities. The expectancy rate, sociodemographic characteristics, and global level of functioning in AfSD has hitherto not been studied neglected. Material and Method. Out of 180 consecutive patients 94 were included after clinical investigations and ICD-10 diagnostics. Further investigations included well-known self-evaluation instruments assessing psychiatric symptoms, personality disorders, psychosocial stress, adaptation, quality of life, and global level of functioning. A neuropsychological screening was also included. Results. The patients were young, had many young children, were well educated, and had about expected (normal distribution of) intelligence. Sixty-one percent were identified as belonging to the group of AfSD. Conclusion. The study identifies a large group of patients that presents much suffering and failure of functioning. This group is shared between the levels of medical care, between primary care and psychiatry. The term AfSD facilitates identification of patient groups that share common traits and identifies individuals clinically, besides the referred patients, in need of psychiatric interventions

Hearing the grass grow. Emotional and epistemological challenges of practice-near research

This paper discusses the concept of practice-near research in terms of the emotional and epistemological challenges that arise from the researcher coming 'near' enough to other people for psychological processes to ensue. These may give rise in the researcher to confusion, anxiety and doubt about who is who and what is what; but also to the possibility of real emotional and relational depth in the research process. Using illustrations from three social work doctoral research projects undertaken by students at the Tavistock Clinic and the University of East London the paper examines four themes that seem to the author to be central to meaningful practice-near research undertaken in a spirit of true emotional and epistemological open-mindedness: the smell of the real; losing our minds; the inevitability of personal change; and the discovery of complex particulars

Magnetic interaction of Co ions near the {10\bar{1}0} ZnO surface

Co-doped ZnO is the prototypical dilute magnetic oxide showing many of the characteristics of ferromagnetism. The microscopic origin of the long range order however remains elusive, since the conventional mechanisms for the magnetic interaction, such as super-exchange and double exchange, fail either at the fundamental or at a quantitative level. Intriguingly, there is a growing evidence that defects both in point-like or extended form play a fundamental role in driving the magnetic order. Here we explore one of such possibilities by performing {\it ab initio} density functional theory calculations for the magnetic interaction of Co ions at or near a ZnO \{10$\bar{1}$0\} surface. We find that extended surface states can hybridize with the $e$-levels of Co and efficiently mediate the magnetic order, although such a mechanism is effective only for ions placed in the first few atomic planes near the surface. We also find that the magnetic anisotropy changes at the surface from an hard-axis easy-plane to an easy axis, with an associated increase of its magnitude. We then conclude that clusters with high densities of surfacial Co ions may display blocking temperatures much higher than in the bulk

The MAGIC of CINEMA: First in-flight science results from a miniaturised anisotropic magnetoresistive magnetometer

We present the first in-flight results from a novel miniaturised anisotropic magnetoresistive space magnetometer, MAGIC (MAGnetometer from Imperial College), aboard the first CINEMA (CubeSat for Ions, Neutrals, Electrons and MAgnetic fields) spacecraft in low Earth orbit. An attitude-independent calibration technique is detailed using the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF), which is temperature dependent in the case of the outboard sensor. We show that the sensors accurately measure the expected absolute field to within 2% in attitude mode and 1% in science mode. Using a simple method we are able to estimate the spacecraft's attitude using the magnetometer only, thus characterising CINEMA's spin, precession and nutation. Finally, we show that the outboard sensor is capable of detecting transient physical signals with amplitudes of ~ 20–60 nT. These include field-aligned currents at the auroral oval, qualitatively similar to previous observations, which agree in location with measurements from the DMSP (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program) and POES (Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites) spacecraft. Thus, we demonstrate and discuss the potential science capabilities of the MAGIC instrument onboard a CubeSat platform

Intrinsic point defects and volume swelling in ZrSiO4 under irradiation

The effects of high concentration of point defects in crystalline ZrSiO4 as originated by exposure to radiation, have been simulated using first principles density functional calculations. Structural relaxation and vibrational studies were performed for a catalogue of intrinsic point defects, with different charge states and concentrations. The experimental evidence of a large anisotropic volume swelling in natural and artificially irradiated samples is used to select the subset of defects that give similar lattice swelling for the concentrations studied, namely interstitials of O and Si, and the anti-site Zr(Si), Calculated vibrational spectra for the interstitials show additional evidence for the presence of high concentrations of some of these defects in irradiated zircon.Comment: 9 pages, 7 (color) figure

Dynamical density functional theory for dense atomic liquids

Starting from Newton's equations of motion, we derive a dynamical density functional theory (DDFT) applicable to atomic liquids. The theory has the feature that it requires as input the Helmholtz free energy functional from equilibrium density functional theory. This means that, given a reliable equilibrium free energy functional, the correct equilibrium fluid density profile is guaranteed. We show that when the isothermal compressibility is small, the DDFT generates the correct value for the speed of sound in a dense liquid. We also interpret the theory as a dynamical equation for a coarse grained fluid density and show that the theory can be used (making further approximations) to derive the standard mode coupling theory that is used to describe the glass transition. The present theory should provide a useful starting point for describing the dynamics of inhomogeneous atomic fluids.Comment: 14 pages, accepted for publication in J. Phys.: Condens. Matte

Biomimetic direction of arrival estimation for resolving front-back confusions in hearing aids

Sound sources at the same angle in front or behind a two-microphone array (e.g., bilateral hearing aids) produce the same time delay and two estimates for the direction of arrival: A front-back confusion. The auditory system can resolve this issue using head movements. To resolve front-back confusion for hearing-aid algorithms, head movement was measured using an inertial sensor. Successive time-delay estimates between the microphones are shifted clockwise and counterclockwise by the head movement between estimates and aggregated in two histograms. The histogram with the largest peak after multiple estimates predicted the correct hemifield for the source, eliminating the front-back confusions

Enamel of Yalkaparidon Coheni: Representative of a Distinctive Order of Tertiary Zalambdodont Marsupials

The enamel of an incisor and a premolar of Yalkaparidon coheni was examined by scanning electron microscopy in fractured and in sectioned, polished surfaces. The enamel of both teeth demonstrated: complete, ovoid and horse-shoe shaped prisms in a Pattern 2 arrangement; a simple parallel prism course; and, enamel tubules in abundance in the premolar but restricted to the innermost enamel in the incisor. Overall, the enamel ultrastructure supports the marsupial affiliation proposed for Yalkaparidon coheni but does not unambiguously ally it with any other order of marsupials. The observation of a significant ultrastructural difference between the anterior and posterior teeth of a marsupial emphasizes the need to sample both if available. In pursuing this, we report here also the lack of tubules in the anterior teeth of the extant Tarsipes rostratus. This together with a similar absence of typical marsupial tubules from the incisor of the extinct Yalkaparidon coheni, would suggest that the wombat is not the only surviving marsupial to have experimented so extensively with this particular structural feature. It is likely that further study will demonstrate an unexpected and relative lack of tubules in the incisor enamel of other fossil Australian marsupials