722 research outputs found
Flupenthixol in relapse prevention in schizophrenics with comorbid alcoholism: Results from an open clinical study
Substance use, especially alcoholism, has been recognized as a significant problem in schizophrenic patients, though only a few studies on the effects of pharmacotherapy in these patients have been conducted so far. The thioxanthene neuroleptic flupenthixol, which can be given intramuscularly (i.m.) for improving compliance, has been studied as a possible anti-craving drug both in animal models of alcoholism and some clinical studies. Pilot studies suggest that comorbid schizophrenics with substance use may benefit from treatment with flupenthixol. Efficacy of flupenthixol (10-60 mg i.m.) in reducing alcohol consumption of dual diagnosis patients was studied in an open 6-month clinical trial in 27 schizophrenics with comorbid alcoholism. Twenty-one patients entered the intention-to-treat analysis. Fourteen subjects were completers, 13 dropped out. Six patients completely abstained from alcohol during treatment. Alcohol consumption was significantly reduced compared to baseline (4 weeks before treatment as measured by timeline follow-back interview). In general, while patients showed a marked improvement concerning alcohol consumption, only a slight improvement in psychopathology was recorded. Overall tolerability was good. These data indicate a probable beneficial effect of flupenthixol in schizophrenic patients with comorbid alcoholism. Although the efficacy of flupenthixol as an anti-craving drug in dual diagnosis patients has to be explored in further studies, the drug may be considered a promising medication for these patients. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel
Bright room temperature single photon source at telecom range in cubic silicon carbide
Single photon emitters (SPEs) play an important role in a number of quantum
information tasks such as quantum key distributions. In these protocols,
telecom wavelength photons are desired due to their low transmission loss in
optical fibers. In this paper, we present a study of bright single-photon
emitters in cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) emitting in the telecom range. We
find that these emitters are photostable and bright at room temperature with a
count rate of ~ MHz. Together with the fact that SiC is a growth and
fabrication-friendly material, our result may pave the way for its future
application in quantum communication technology applications.Comment: Accepted by Nature Communication
Field-induced domain wall propagation: beyond the one-dimensional model
We have investigated numerically the field-driven propagation of
perpendicularly magnetized ferromagnetic layers. It was then compared to the
historical one-dimensional domain wall (DW) propagation model widely used in
spintronics studies of magnetic nanostructures. In the particular regime of
layer thickness (h) of the order of the exchange length, anomalous velocity
peaks appear in the precessional regime, their shape and position shifting with
h. This has also been observed experimentally. Analyses of the simulations show
a distinct correlation between the curvature of the DW and the twist of the
magnetization vector within it, and the velocity peak. Associating a
phenomenological description of this twist with a four-coordinate DW
propagation model, we reproduce very well these kinks and show that they result
from the torque exerted by the stray field created by the domains on the
twisted magnetization. The position of the peaks is well predicted from the
DW's first flexural mode frequency, and depends strongly on the layer
thickness. Comparison of the proposed model to DW propagation data obtained on
dilute semiconductor ferromagnets GaMnAs and GaMnAsP sheds light on the origin
of the measured peaks
Surface acoustic wave driven ferromagnetic resonance in (Ga,Mn)(As,P) epilayers
Interdigitated transducers were used to generate and detect surface acoustic
waves on a thin layer of (Ga,Mn)(As,P). The out-of-plane uniaxial magnetic
anisotropy of this dilute magnetic semiconductor is very sensitive to the
strain of the layer, making it an ideal test material for the dynamic control
of magnetization via magneto-striction. The time-domain measurement of the
amplitude and phase of the transmitted SAW during magnetic field sweeps
indicated a clear resonant behavior at a field close to the one calculated to
give a precession frequency equal to the SAW frequency. A resonance was
observed from 5K to 85K, just below the Curie temperature of the layer. A full
analytical treatment of the coupled magnetization/acoustic dynamics showed that
the magneto-strictive coupling modifies the elastic constants of the material
and accordingly the wave-vector solution to the elastic wave equation. The
shape and position of the resonance were well reproduced by the calculations,
in particular the fact that velocity (phase) variations resonated at lower
fields than the acoustic attenuation variations
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