313 research outputs found
Pathological regional blood flow in opiate-dependent patients during withdrawal: A HMPAO-SPECT study
The aims of the present study were to investigate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in heroin-dependent patients during withdrawal and to assess the relation between these changes and duration of heroin consumption and withdrawal data. The rCBF was measured using brain SPECT with Tc-99m-HMPAO in 16 heroin-dependent patients during heroin withdrawal. Thirteen patients received levomethadone at the time of the SPECT scans. The images were analyzed both visually and quantitatively, a total of 21 hypoperfused brain regions were observed in 11 of the 16 patients. The temporal lobes were the most affected area, hypoperfusions of the right and left temporal lobe were observed in 5 and 5 patients, respectively. Three of the patients had a hypoperfusion of the right frontal lobe, 2 patients showed perfusion defects in the left frontal lobe, right parietal lobe and left parietal lobe. The results of the quantitative assessments of the rCBF were consistent with the results of the qualitative findings. The stepwise regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.54) between the dose of levomethadone at the time of the SPECT scan and the rCBF of the right parietal lobe. Other significant correlations between clinical data and rCBF were not found. The present results suggest brain perfusion abnormalities during heroin withdrawal in heroin-dependent patients, which are not due to the conditions of withdrawal
Depth concentrations of deuterium ions implanted into some pure metals and alloys
Pure metals (Cu, Ti, Zr, V, Pd) and diluted Pd-alloys (Pd-Ag, Pd-Pt, Pd-Ru,
Pd-Rh) were implanted by 25 keV deuterium ions at fluences in the range
(1.2{\div}2.3)x1022 D+/m2. The post-treatment depth distributions of deuterium
ions were measured 10 days and three months after the implantation using
Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA) and Rutherford Backscattering (RBS).
Comparison of the obtained results allowed to make conclusions about relative
stability of deuterium and hydrogen gases in pure metals and diluted Pd alloys.
Very high diffusion rates of implanted deuterium ions from V and Pd pure metals
and Pd alloys were observed. Small-angle X-ray scattering revealed formation of
nanosized defects in implanted corundum and titanium.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure
Evidence of Josephson-coupled superconducting regions at the interfaces of Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite
Transport properties of a few hundreds of nanometers thick (in the graphene
plane direction) lamellae of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) have
been investigated. Current-Voltage characteristics as well as the temperature
dependence of the voltage at different fixed input currents provide evidence
for Josephson-coupled superconducting regions embedded in the internal
two-dimensional interfaces, reaching zero resistance at low enough
temperatures. The overall behavior indicates the existence of superconducting
regions with critical temperatures above 100 K at the internal interfaces of
oriented pyrolytic graphite.Comment: 6 Figures, 5 page
On the optical properties of Ag^{+15} ion-beam irradiated TiO_{2} and SnO_{2} thin films
The effects of 200-MeV Ag^{+15} ion irradiation on the optical properties of
TiO_{2} and SnO_{2} thin films prepared by using the RF magnetron sputtering
technique were investigated. These films were characterized by using UV-vis
spectroscopy, and with increasing irradiation fluence, the transmittance for
the TiO_{2} films was observed to increase systematically while that for
SnO_{2} was observed to decrease. Absorption spectra of the irradiated samples
showed minor changes in the indirect bandgap from 3.44 to 3.59 eV with
increasing irradiation fluence for TiO_{2} while significant changes in the
direct bandgap from 3.92 to 3.6 eV were observed for SnO_{2}. The observed
modifications in the optical properties of both the TiO_{2} and the SnO_{2}
systems with irradiation can be attributed to controlled structural
disorder/defects in the system.Comment: 6 pages, ICAMD-201
Repeated Radionuclide therapy in metastatic paraganglioma leading to the highest reported cumulative activity of 131I-MIBG
131I-MIBG therapy for neuroendocrine tumours may be dose limited. The common range of applied cumulative activities is 10-40 GBq. We report the uneventful cumulative administration of 111 GBq (= 3 Ci) 131I-MIBG in a patient with metastatic paraganglioma. Ten courses of 131I-MIBG therapy were given within six years, accomplishing symptomatic, hormonal and tumour responses with no serious adverse effects. Chemotherapy with cisplatin/vinblastine/dacarbazine was the final treatment modality with temporary control of disease, but eventually the patient died of progression. The observed cumulative activity of 131I-MIBG represents the highest value reported to our knowledge, and even though 12.6 GBq of 90Y-DOTATOC were added intermediately, no associated relevant bone marrow, hepatic or other toxicity were observed. In an individual attempt to palliate metastatic disease high cumulative activity alone should not preclude the patient from repeat treatment
Predictors and outcomes in primary depression care (POKAL) â a research training group develops an innovative approach to collaborative care
BACKGROUND: The interdisciplinary research training group (POKAL) aims to improve care for patients with depression and multimorbidity in primary care. POKAL includes nine projects within the framework of the Chronic Care Model (CCM). In addition, POKAL will train young (mental) health professionals in research competences within primary care settings. POKAL will address specific challenges in diagnosis (reliability of diagnosis, ignoring suicidal risks), in treatment (insufficient patient involvement, highly fragmented care and inappropriate long-time anti-depressive medication) and in implementation of innovations (insufficient guideline adherence, use of irrelevant patient outcomes, ignoring relevant context factors) in primary depression care. METHODS: In 2021 POKAL started with a first group of 16 trainees in general practice (GPs), pharmacy, psychology, public health, informatics, etc. The program is scheduled for at least 6Â years, so a second group of trainees starting in 2024 will also have three years of research-time. Experienced principal investigators (PIs) supervise all trainees in their specific projects. All projects refer to the CCM and focus on the diagnostic, therapeutic, and implementation challenges. RESULTS: The first cohort of the POKAL research training group will develop and test new depression-specific diagnostics (hermeneutical strategies, predicting models, screening for suicidal ideation), treatment (primary-care based psycho-education, modulating factors in depression monitoring, strategies of de-prescribing) and implementation in primary care (guideline implementation, use of patient-assessed data, identification of relevant context factors). Based on those results the second cohort of trainees and their PIs will run two major trials to proof innovations in primary care-based a) diagnostics and b) treatment for depression. CONCLUSION: The research and training programme POKAL aims to provide appropriate approaches for depression diagnosis and treatment in primary care
Vortex phase diagram in BSCCO with damage tracks created by 30 MeV fullerene irradiation
Using 30 MeV C60 fullerene irradiation, we have produced latent tracks of
diameter 20 nm and length 200 nm, near the surface of single crystalline BSCCO.
A preliminary transmission electron microscopy study shows evidence for a very
high density of deposited energy, and the ejection of material from the track
core in very thin specimens. The latent tracks reveal themselves to be
exceptionally strong pinning centers for vortices in the superconducting mixed
state. Both the critical current density and magnetic irreversibility line are
significantly enhanced. The irradiated crystals present salient features of the
(B,T) phase diagram of vortex matter both of pristine crystals, such as the
first order vortex phase transition, and the exponential Bose-glass line
characteristic of heavy ion-irradiated crystals. We show that the latter is
manifestly independent of the pinning potential.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figure
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