3,552 research outputs found
Effects of loperamide on the human hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in vivo and in vitro.
Loperamide, an opiate agonist of high specificity for p-receptors,
was recently reported to suppress ACTH and cortisol levels in normal
subjects, but not in patients with proven ACTH-dependent Cushing’s
disease. However, there is little information on the site of action of
loperamide in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis of man. We
investigated the effect of loperamide on pituitary hormone secretion in
uiuo and in vitro. In seven normal subjects, basal ACTH plasma levels
were significantly suppressed 3 h after loperamide administration (16
mg, orally) from 5 + 1 to 2 f 0 pmol/L (P < 0.0001). After the combined
pituitary stimulation test (100 pg human CRH, 100 rg GnRH, 100 pg
GH-releasing hormone, and 200 pg TRH), the ACTH peak (maximum
increase at 30 min) was significantly blunted by loperamide from 9 +
1 to 4 of: 1 pmol/L (P < 0.001) and the area under the curve of ACTH
from O-120 min was reduced from 35 + 5 to 23 + 4 pmol/L.2 h (P <
0.05). In the insulin-hypoglycemia test (0.15 IU/kg BW), neither the
ACTH peak nor the area under the curve of ACTH was affected by
loperamide. In six patients with Cushing’s disease and one patient with
secondary adrenal insufficency due to hypothalamic failure, neither
basal ACTH and cortisol levels nor CRH-stimulated levels were influenced
by loperamide. In four cultured human corticotropic adenomas,
loperamide was not able to reduce basal and CRH-induced ACTH
secretion. In summary, loperamide is able to reduce basal and CRHinduced
ACTH and cortisol levels in normal subjects, but not in
patients with Cushing’s disease or secondary adrenal failure of hypothalamic
origin. Loperamide has no significant effect on insulin-hypoglycemia-
induced ACTH and cortisol levels and, therefore, no effect
on stress-induced elevation of cortisol levels. Loperamide might act at
a suprapituitary site in man in viuo, but, nevertheless, a pituitary site
cannot be excluded
Chiral 1D Floquet topological insulators beyond rotating wave approximation
We study one-dimensional (1D) Floquet topological insulators with chiral
symmetry going beyond the standard rotating wave approximation. The occurrence
of many anticrossings between Floquet replicas leads to a dramatic extension of
phase diagram regions with stable topological edge states (TESs). We present an
explicit construction of all TESs in terms of a truncated Floquet Hamiltonian
in frequency space, prove the bulk-boundary correspondence, and analyze the
stability of the TESs in terms of their localization lengths. We propose
experimental tests of our predictions in curved bilayer graphene.Comment: 4+9 page
Spin dynamics in the Kapitza-Dirac effect
Electron spin dynamics in Kapitza-Dirac scattering from a standing laser wave
of high frequency and high intensity is studied. We develop a fully
relativistic quantum theory of the electron motion based on the time-dependent
Dirac equation. Distinct spin dynamics, with Rabi oscillations and complete
spin-flip transitions, is demonstrated for Kapitza-Dirac scattering involving
three photons in a parameter regime accessible to future high-power X-ray laser
sources. The Rabi frequency and, thus, the diffraction pattern is shown to
depend crucially on the spin degree of freedom
An evaluation of the German teacher version of the Developmental Behaviour Checklist in children and adolescents with intellectual disability
BACKGROUND The Developmental Behaviour Checklist (DBC) is an established, internationally used questionnaire for assessing behavioural and emotional problems among young people with developmental or intellectual disabilities (ID). The present study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of its German teacher version (DBC-T).
METHOD The German DBC-T was administered to 397 school staff members who reported twice on 1177 children and adolescents with ID over a period of 7–9 months. Data were analysed within an exploratory structural equation modelling framework.
RESULTS Our results supported the five-factor structure of the DBC-T and found good reliability for all scales. Analyses on the relationship of DBC-T scores with students’ age, gender, and adaptive behaviour provided further evidence for the validity of the DBC-T.
CONCLUSIONS Our study endorses the notion that the German DBC-T is an important instrument both for research and practice. Limitations and further directions are discussed
Modified toggle pin technique combined with prosthetic capsular reconstruction for surgical stabilization of coxofemoral luxation in a Shetland pony
Objective
To describe open reduction and surgical stabilization of a coxofemoral luxation in a pony using a modified toggle pin technique and prosthetic joint capsule reconstruction without osteotomy of the greater trochanter.
Animal
A 2-year-old Shetland pony with a bodyweight of 167 kg.
Study design
Case report.
Methods
Radiographic examination confirmed craniodorsal luxation of the left coxofemoral joint. An open reduction with the aid of a pulley system was performed. A toggle pin was inserted through a bone tunnel extending from the level of the femoral shaft through the femoral head and the center of the acetabulum for the pin to be positioned on the medial wall of the acetabulum. FiberWire was subsequently passed through the cranial and caudal aspects of the acetabulum as well as a transverse tunnel in the femoral neck in a figure of 8 to facilitate capsular reconstruction. The pony was placed in a sling for 8 weeks and gradually returned to normal activity over 2 months.
Results
Postoperative radiographic examination confirmed the position of the femoral head in the acetabulum with the implants in place. On 2-year follow-up the pony was sound at walk and trot.
Conclusion
A combined intra- and extra-articular stabilization technique for coxofemoral luxation in a pony resulted in successful long-term reduction and excellent outcome
Pair production in laser fields oscillating in space and time
The production of electron-positron pairs from vacuum by counterpropagating
laser beams of linear polarization is calculated. In contrast to the usual
approximate approach, the spatial dependence and magnetic component of the
laser field are taken into account. We show that the latter strongly affects
the creation process at high laser frequency: the production probability is
reduced, the kinematics is fundamentally modified, the resonant
Rabi-oscillation pattern is distorted and the resonance positions are shifted,
multiplied and split.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
- …