Altered oscillatory brain dynamics after repeated traumatic stress

Kolassa I-T, Wienbruch C, Neuner F, et al. Altered oscillatory brain dynamics after repeated traumatic stress. BMC Psychiatry. 2007;7(1): 56.BACKGROUND: Repeated traumatic experiences, e.g. torture and war, lead to functional and structural cerebral changes, which should be detectable in cortical dynamics. Abnormal slow waves produced within circumscribed brain regions during a resting state have been associated with lesioned neural circuitry in neurological disorders and more recently also in mental illness. METHODS: Using magnetoencephalographic (MEG-based) source imaging, we mapped abnormal distributions of generators of slow waves in 97 survivors of torture and war with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in comparison to 97 controls. RESULTS: PTSD patients showed elevated production of focally generated slow waves (1-4 Hz), particularly in left temporal brain regions, with peak activities in the region of the insula. Furthermore, differential slow wave activity in right frontal areas was found in PTSD patients compared to controls. CONCLUSION: The insula, as a site of multimodal convergence, could play a key role in understanding the pathophysiology of PTSD, possibly accounting for what has been called posttraumatic alexithymia, i.e., reduced ability to identify, express and regulate emotional responses to reminders of traumatic events. Differences in activity in right frontal areas may indicate a dysfunctional PFC, which may lead to diminished extinction of conditioned fear and reduced inhibition of the amygdala

Genome-wide Association Study of Alcohol Dependence

Identification of genes contributing to alcohol dependence will improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this disorder

Current practice of lung ultrasonography (LUS) in the diagnosis of pneumothorax: a survey of physician sonographers in Germany

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to survey the current practice of the use of lung ultrasonography (LUS) in the diagnosis of pneumothorax. METHODS: Physician sonographers, accredited for diagnostic ultrasonography in surgery, anaesthesia and medicine were studied. Questions addressed the frequency of exposure to patients with suspected pneumothorax, frequency of LUS use, preferences regarding technical aspects of LUS examination, assessment of diagnostic accuracy of LUS and involvement in teaching. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 55.1% used LUS ‘always’ or ‘frequently’ for suspected pneumothorax. Also, 35.5% of physicians rated LUS as ‘always reliable’ in ruling out pneumothorax, and 21.3% of respondents rated LUS as ‘always reliable’ in ruling in pneumothorax. The mode of performing LUS for pneumothorax was highly variable. Statistically significant differences were found regarding the likelihood of LUS usage, the combined use of M-Mode and B-mode scanning and the confidence to exclude pneumothorax based on LUS findings for physicians with frequent exposure to pneumothorax cases. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians' use of LUS in the diagnosis of pneumothorax is modest. Confidence in diagnostic accuracy is not comprehensive. Further research is required to establish the most efficient way of performing LUS in this scenario to achieve the highest possible diagnostic accuracy and reliable documentation of examination results

Synthesis and characterization of Zn-doped LiFePO4 cathode materials for Li-ion battery

Synthetic LiFe1-xZnxPO4 (0 x 0.26) samples have been prepared using wet chemistry method. The samples have been characterized by means of Rietveld structure refinement of Powder-XRD data and by Moessbauer spectroscopy. Impurities such as Li3PO4 and Fe2P have been detected in small amount and quantified by Rietveld analysis. No Zn-bearing impurity has been detected up to x¼ 0.15, but significant amounts of LiZnPO4 have been observed in the samples with x 0.2. The unit cell volume of LiFePO4 decreases anisotropically with increasing Zn content (0.7% of initial volume of 291.343 Å3). Cell parameter (orthorhombic Pbnm space group, #62) b0 and c0 decrease with increasing Zn content, whereas a0 parameter is almost constant. The average and interatomic distances in the M1 and M2 sites are almost constant, whereas the distance slightly decreases (1.4% of the initial value). Interestingly, O2eO1eO2 bond angle along the [001] direction decreases with increasing Zncontent, thus resulting in a marked decrease of the c0 axis length although the distance remains essentially constant. M€ossbauer analyses show the majority of Fe to be divalent and located in an octahedral site similar to available literature data for LiFePO4. The Fe3þ/(Fe3þþFe2þ) ratio ranges from 0.10 to 0.17, and is not related to the Zn content. Preliminary electrochemical analyses of Zn doped samples in comparison to pristine LiFePO4 are reported

Sonographic patterns of lung consolidation in mechanically ventilated patients with and without ventilator-associated pneumonia: A prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE Thoracic ultrasound (TUS) has been successfully used in the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia. Little is known about its diagnostic potential in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The purpose of this study was to systematically describe the morphology and temporal changes of sonographic patterns in mechanically ventilated patients and to evaluate the diagnostic performance characteristics of TUS-based VAP diagnoses. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients who were placed on invasive ventilation for reasons other than pneumonia and who were considered at risk for the development of VAP received daily TUS examinations while being closely monitored for the development of pneumonia. RESULTS Fifty-seven patients were studied. The incidence of VAP was 21.1%. Sonographic patterns of reduced or absent lung aeration were found in 64.2% of examinations. The sonographic pattern of lung consolidation with either dynamic or static air bronchograms was 100% sensitive and 60% specific for VAP in those patients who developed clinical signs and symptoms compatible with pneumonia. The pretest and posttest probabilities were 0.38 and 0.6, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Sonographic patterns of abnormal aeration are frequently observed in mechanically ventilated patients. If sonographic lung consolidation with either static or dynamic air bronchograms is absent, VAP is highly unlikely. The presence of these sonographic patterns in patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of pneumonia significantly increases the probability of VAP

Geochemical fingerprints of Late Triassic calc-alkaline lamprophyres from the Eastern Pontides, NE Turkey: A key to understanding lamprophyre formation in a subduction-related environment

Uysal, Ibrahim/0000-0001-7607-2893; KANDEMIR, RAIF/0000-0002-0344-9159WOS: 000336347800013The Eastern Pontides in NE Turkey is one of the major orogenic belts in Anatolia. in this paper, we report our new Ar-40/Ar-39 dating, mineral chemistry, major and trace elements and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic analyses of the lamprophyre intrusions in this region. the lamprophyres are widely scattered and intrude Late Carboniferous granitoid rocks. the lamprophyres exhibit fine-grained textures and are mineralogically uniform. Hornblende Ar-40/Ar-39 dating yielded a plateau age of 216.01 +/- 10.64 Ma. Based on their geochemistry, mineral compositions and paragenesis, the lamprophyres are classified as calc-alkaline lamprophyres in general and spessartites in particular, which are rich in large ion lithophile elements (e.g., Rb, Ba, K) but depleted in Nb and Ti. Our samples exhibit moderate fractionation in LREE patterns approximately 100 times that of chondrite but HREE abundances less than 10 times that of chondrite. These calc-alkaline lamprophyres display a range of I-Sr (216 Ma) values from 0.70619 to 0.71291 and epsilon(Nd) (216 Ma) values from -1.4 to 4.1, with T-DM = 1.11 to 2.20 Ga. Their Pb isotopic ratios indicate an enriched mantle source. the enrichment process is related to metasomatism of a subcontinental lithospheric mantle source, which is caused by a large quantity of H2O-rich fluids, rather than sediments released from oceanic crust at depth during the closure of the Paleotethys Ocean in Triassic times. All of the geochemical data and the trace element modeling suggest that the primary magma of the calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline spessartites was generated at depth by a low degree of partial melting (similar to 1-10%) of a previously enriched lithospheric mantle wedge consisting of phlogopite-bearing spinel peridotite. the ascendance of a hot asthenosphere triggered by extensional events caused partial melting of mantle material. the rising melts were accompanied by fractional crystallization and crustal contamination en route to the surface. All of the geochemical features combined with regional data suggest that the Eastern Pontides calc-alkaline lamprophyres originated in an extensional environment along an active continental margin throughout the Late Triassic. Such an extensional event, causing upwelling of hot asthenosphere, led to the opening of the northern branch of the Neotethys as a back-arc basin farther south of the Eastern Pontides. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [108Y200]We are most grateful to the staff of the Isotopic Laboratory of the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, in Beijing. This study was partly supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) with grant # 108Y200. Special thanks go to E. Yalcin Ersoy for the geochemical modeling. Thanks are due to Andrew Kerr for his editorial handlings and two anonymous reviewers for their accurate and constructive reviews

XAS determination of the Fe local environment and oxidation state in phonolite glasses

The Fe oxidation state, coordination geometry, and (Fe-O) distances have been determined by Fe K-edge XANES and EXAFS for a set of silicate glasses of phonolite composition produced at different oxygen fugacity conditions with the aim of determining the effect of iron oxidation state and local structural environment on the viscosity of the corresponding melts. Comparison of the pre-edge peak data with those of Fe model compounds with known oxidation state and coordination number allowed for determination of the Fe oxidation state and coordination number for all the glasses analyzed. The Fe3+/(Fe 3++Fe2+) ratio varies from 0.44 to 0.93 (±0.05) in the glasses studied. The determined values are in excellent agreement (within 0.03 difference) with those independently measured by the titration method. Moreover, pre-edge peak data clearly indicate that Fe3+ is in fourfold coordination, whereas Fe2+ exists both in fourfold and fivefold coordination for this phonolitic composition, although the presence of minor amounts of sixfold-coordinated Fe cannot be ruled out by XANES data alone. EXAFS data of the most oxidized sample indicate that Fe3+ is in tetrahedral coordination with (Fe-O) = 1.85 A (±0.01). This value compares well with literature data for [4]Fe3+ (e.g., in tetra-ferriphlogopite or rodolicoite). Calculated NBO/T ratios decrease with Fe oxidation (from 0.23 to 0.19). For phonolitic glasses of this study, going from reducing to oxidizing conditions results in a higher fraction of network-forming Fe, thus increasing the polymerization of the tetrahedral network and producing shorter (and stronger) (Fe-O) bond distances. Both the polymerization increase and the structural variations in the Fe local environment can qualitatively explain the strong increase in melt viscosity observed at higher oxygen fugacity

Higher punishment, less control? Experimental evidence on the inspection game

Rational choice theory predicts for higher punishment less crime. However, many field studies could not support this conclusion. A game theoretic approach can explain these puzzling findings because it takes not only criminals' but also control agents' rationality into account. Mixed Nash equilibria predict for higher punishment less control and no effect on crime rates. A new experimental design is introduced to test game theoretic hypotheses. 196 subjects have been partitioned into `inspectees' who can steal money from each other and `inspectors' who can invest in control activities to catch inspectees. Static and dynamic analyses show that strategic interaction plays an important role for crime and punishment. However, effects are not as strong as predicted. Higher punishment indeed causes less control, but crime is deterred as well. Furthermore, dynamical analyses with the learning model fictitious play reveal that humans learn only slowly in inspection situations