Nervenschwäche und Krieg

Since the 1880s neurasthenia - a term popularised by New York-physician George Beard - was discussed an a phenomenon of modernity, but over a long period of debate, psychiatry were not able to define what this "modern malady" exactly meant nor was it able to find any discernible causes for the epidemic disease. Neurasthenia was not simply a diagnostic term, which was often applied by fin de siècle-physicians to their workaday routine, but a kind of lifestyle, a sign of a certain emotional sensitivity in modern times. In the last decade historical research on neurasthenia has focused on Britain, Germany and the Netherlands. But what happened in Austria-Hungary, especially in Vienna? Focusing on Viennese psychiatry, part one of the book analyses the "invention" of Neurasthenia and the adoption of Beards thesis in Austrian medicine, bringing out various figures and alternative methods of explanations of the disease that was identified as a central, yet unwanted feature of modern manliness. Based on this the outcome of war could be seen as an instance of 'nerve-corrections'. Like many medical professionals in Austria-Hungary, psychiatrists had reacted to the war with nearly unanimous support: patriotic habits went hand in hand with high psychiatric expectations of the powerful mental effects of war. These hopes were badly disappointed. In the more recent literature on the medical and cultural history of the Great War, the phenomenon of the epidemic mental breakdowns of soldiers has been given a prominent place. 'Shellshock' and 'war neurosis' are now key words and frequent metaphors for the shattering effects of an industrialized war. In a sense these psychiatric labels symbolically represent the destructive impact of mechanized weapons on body and soul, the loss of narrative structures and the traumatic after-effects of modern warfare. How can Viennese-centred Austrian psychiatry in the First World War be characterized? With regard to new studies on the history of trauma, war and psychiatry I intend to emphasize two interpretations. Firstly, as in German and other European psychiatric war communities, models of rationalisation and modernisation are of significance when focusing on this topic. Viennese psychiatrists were neither particularly brutal nor especially tolerant in the way they dealt with the situation. Instead, as in other European countries in the Great War, they acted in keeping with military requirements and standards. Secondly, the specific political and cultural context of the Austro-Hungarian situation is of utmost importance as well. Shell-shock was a phenomenon that affected all nations, but reactions differed according to different national traditions and different medical ways of understanding, representing and acting. In a comparative cultural history of World War One, Austria-Hungary is a model of a shattered society, paralysed by ethnic conflicts and cultural differences. In this context, the therapeutic response to war neurosis was affected by language confusion, national stereotypes and malingering. The German-Austrian psychiatrists not only emerged as a group of experts who had taken responsibility for the efficient treatment of war neurosis, but also as a pressure group that intended to keep centrifugal forces of the multinational empire under control.Das Unbehagen an der Moderne hatte um 1900 einen Namen: Neurasthenie. Dieses Buch führt in die unruhigen mentalen Landschaften Kakaniens und thematisiert als zentrale Fragen: Wie wurde die Neurasthenie in den österreichischen Ärztemilieus debattiert? Was hieß es für Patienten, mit dieser Diagnose konfrontiert zu sein? Neurasthenie stand für die Erschöpfung der modernen städtischen Gesellschaft, die sich durch eine rastlose Lebensführung überfordert sah, und machte ihre emotionalen Sensibilitäten und Sicherheitsbedürfnisse transparent. Insbesondere Männer des Bürgertums griffen auf das neue psychiatrische Deutungsangebot zurück. Die Diagnose der Neurasthenie konnte "unmännliche" Verhaltensweisen sinnstiftend erklären. Zugleich ließ sie aber auch Bedürfnisse nach deren Überwindung entstehen. Im Spiegel dieser Nervendiskurse lässt sich besser verstehen, warum 1914 der Krieg als "therapeutisches Erlebnis" und männliches Erneuerungsprojekt angepriesen wurde. Die Realitäten des modernen Maschinenkrieges setzten diesen Vorstellungen ein rasches Ende: Der Zitterer wurde zu einer massenhaft auftretenden Erscheinung, zum umstrittenen Patienten und zur Krisenfigur der Abhärtungsutopisten, die aus dem Krieg den "neuen Menschen" hervorgehen sahen. Da die Militärs in den Kriegsneurosen eine gefährliche Schwächung der Schlagkraft der Armee sahen, wurden wissenschaftliche Experten gebraucht, die rasch und effizient mit diesem Problem umgehen konnten. Die Psychiatrie befand sich dadurch in einer völlig neuen Situation, da sie nicht nur Kritik an einer gesellschaftlichen Krisensituation formulieren konnte, sondern auch Ressourcen und Instrumentarien zu deren Bewältigung bereitzustellen hatte. Welche Akzentverschiebungen ergaben sich in der psychiatrischen Wahrnehmung und Deutung sowie im Umgang mit Nervenkrankheiten? Wie lässt sich die österreichische Psychiatrie des Ersten Weltkriegs in historischer Perspektive charakterisieren? Mit Bezug auf die neuere medizinhistorische und kulturwissenschaftliche Forschung wird die Kriegspsychiatrie auf der Folie der Herausbildung der Medizin als Schlüsselwissenschaft des modernen Krieges analysiert. Dies bedeutete, dass die therapeutische Arbeit der Psychiater an den Vorgaben und Zielvorstellungen des Krieg führenden Staates ausgerichtet war. Darüber hinaus wird auf einige Problemkonstellationen des Vielvölkerstaates und deren Auswirkungen auf psychiatrisches Handeln im Krieg eingegangen. Die elektrischen Behandlungsmethoden der Psychiater werden auf der Folie der ethnisch-sprachlichen Pluralität der österreichisch-ungarischen Armee diskutiert. Der zweite Teil der Arbeit bietet solcherart eine differenzierte Analyse und Neubewertung des Phänomens der "Kriegsneurosen" wie auch der Rolle der österreichischen Psychiatrie im Ersten Weltkrieg

Nervenschwäche und Krieg

Since the 1880s neurasthenia - a term popularised by New York-physician George Beard - was discussed an a phenomenon of modernity, but over a long period of debate, psychiatry were not able to define what this "modern malady" exactly meant nor was it able to find any discernible causes for the epidemic disease. Neurasthenia was not simply a diagnostic term, which was often applied by fin de siècle-physicians to their workaday routine, but a kind of lifestyle, a sign of a certain emotional sensitivity in modern times. In the last decade historical research on neurasthenia has focused on Britain, Germany and the Netherlands. But what happened in Austria-Hungary, especially in Vienna? Focusing on Viennese psychiatry, part one of the book analyses the "invention" of Neurasthenia and the adoption of Beards thesis in Austrian medicine, bringing out various figures and alternative methods of explanations of the disease that was identified as a central, yet unwanted feature of modern manliness. Based on this the outcome of war could be seen as an instance of 'nerve-corrections'. Like many medical professionals in Austria-Hungary, psychiatrists had reacted to the war with nearly unanimous support: patriotic habits went hand in hand with high psychiatric expectations of the powerful mental effects of war. These hopes were badly disappointed. In the more recent literature on the medical and cultural history of the Great War, the phenomenon of the epidemic mental breakdowns of soldiers has been given a prominent place. 'Shellshock' and 'war neurosis' are now key words and frequent metaphors for the shattering effects of an industrialized war. In a sense these psychiatric labels symbolically represent the destructive impact of mechanized weapons on body and soul, the loss of narrative structures and the traumatic after-effects of modern warfare. How can Viennese-centred Austrian psychiatry in the First World War be characterized? With regard to new studies on the history of trauma, war and psychiatry I intend to emphasize two interpretations. Firstly, as in German and other European psychiatric war communities, models of rationalisation and modernisation are of significance when focusing on this topic. Viennese psychiatrists were neither particularly brutal nor especially tolerant in the way they dealt with the situation. Instead, as in other European countries in the Great War, they acted in keeping with military requirements and standards. Secondly, the specific political and cultural context of the Austro-Hungarian situation is of utmost importance as well. Shell-shock was a phenomenon that affected all nations, but reactions differed according to different national traditions and different medical ways of understanding, representing and acting. In a comparative cultural history of World War One, Austria-Hungary is a model of a shattered society, paralysed by ethnic conflicts and cultural differences. In this context, the therapeutic response to war neurosis was affected by language confusion, national stereotypes and malingering. The German-Austrian psychiatrists not only emerged as a group of experts who had taken responsibility for the efficient treatment of war neurosis, but also as a pressure group that intended to keep centrifugal forces of the multinational empire under control

The Benefits of Randomly Delayed Charging of Electric Vehicles

The increasing use of electric vehicles, combined with the trend of higher charging currents, puts a significant strain on the electrical grid. Many solutions to this problem are being discussed, some relying on some form of smart grid, others proposing stricter regulations concerning charging electric vehicles. In this study, a different approach, called randomly delayed charging, is explored. The main idea is to charge a battery over night, but instead of starting the charging process as soon as possible, introduce a random delay, satisfying the boundary condition that the battery is sufficiently charged in the morning. Benefits of this technique are investigated by using an agent-based simulation that simulates commuters and calculates the electricity demand with temporal resolution. Results suggest that randomly delayed charging can have a significant effect on peak load caused by charging and that this benefit increases the higher the used charging current is. Randomly delayed charging can be a viable option for reducing the peak electricity demand that is caused by charging electric vehicles. Document type: Articl

Elemental Nanoanalysis of Interfacial Alumina–Aryl Fluoride Interactions in Fullerene‐Free Organic Tandem Solar Cells

n/

Goal-directed coagulation management of major trauma patients using thromboelastometry (ROTEM®)-guided administration of fibrinogen concentrate and prothrombin complex concentrate

Introduction: The appropriate strategy for trauma-induced coagulopathy management is under debate. We report the treatment of major trauma using mainly coagulation factor concentrates. Methods: This retrospective analysis included trauma patients who received >= 5 units of red blood cell concentrate within 24 hours. Coagulation management was guided by thromboelastometry (ROTEM(R)). Fibrinogen concentrate was given as first-line haemostatic therapy when maximum clot firmness (MCF) measured by FibTEM (fibrin-based test) was < 10 mm. Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) was given in case of recent coumarin intake or clotting time measured by extrinsic activation test (EXTEM) > 1.5 times normal. Lack of improvement in EXTEM MCF after fibrinogen concentrate administration was an indication for platelet concentrate. The observed mortality was compared with the mortality predicted by the trauma injury severity score (TRISS) and by the revised injury severity classification (RISC) score. Results: Of 131 patients included, 128 received fibrinogen concentrate as first-line therapy, 98 additionally received PCC, while 3 patients with recent coumarin intake received only PCC. Twelve patients received FFP and 29 received platelet concentrate. The observed mortality was 24.4%, lower than the TRISS mortality of 33.7% (P = 0.032) and the RISC mortality of 28.7% (P > 0.05). After excluding 17 patients with traumatic brain injury, the difference in mortality was 14% observed versus 27.8% predicted by TRISS (P = 0.0018) and 24.3% predicted by RISC (P = 0.014). Conclusions: ROTEM(R)-guided haemostatic therapy, with fibrinogen concentrate as first-line haemostatic therapy and additional PCC, was goal-directed and fast. A favourable survival rate was observed. Prospective, randomized trials to investigate this therapeutic alternative further appear warranted

Reply to the comment on "Imaging of the Hydrogen Subsurface Site in Rutile TiO2''

A reply to the Comment by M. Calatayud et al. on "Imaging of the Hydrogen Subsurface Site in Rutile TiO2" (Physical Review Letters, Volume 102, Issue 13). DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.102.136103.Peer reviewe

Imaging of the Hydrogen Subsurface Site in Rutile TiO2

From an interplay between simultaneously recorded noncontact atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy images and simulations based on density functional theory, we reveal the location of single hydrogen species in the surface and subsurface layers of rutile TiO2. Subsurface hydrogen atoms (Hsub) are found to reside in a stable interstitial site as subsurface OH groups detectable in scanning tunneling microscopy as a characteristic electronic state but imperceptible to atomic force microscopy. The combined atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and density functional theory study demonstrates a general scheme to reveal near surface defects and interstitials in poorly conducting materials.Peer reviewe