Spin transport and spin dephasing in zinc oxide

The wide bandgap semiconductor ZnO is interesting for spintronic applications because of its small spin-orbit coupling implying a large spin coherence length. Utilizing vertical spin valve devices with ferromagnetic electrodes (TiN/Co/ZnO/Ni/Au), we study the spin-polarized transport across ZnO in all-electrical experiments. The measured magnetoresistance agrees well with the prediction of a two spin channel model with spin-dependent interface resistance. Fitting the data yields spin diffusion lengths of 10.8nm (2K), 10.7nm (10K), and 6.2nm (200K) in ZnO, corresponding to spin lifetimes of 2.6ns (2K), 2.0ns (10K), and 31ps (200K).Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures; supplemental material adde

Association between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms and self-rated 'empathic concern' in schizophrenia

The nonapeptide oxytocin (OXT) and its receptor (OXTR) have been implicated in social cognition, empathy, emotion and stress regulation in humans. Previous studies reported associations between OXT and OXTR genetic polymorphisms and risk for disorders characterized by impaired socio-emotional functioning, such as schizophrenia and autism. Here we investigate the influence of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the OXTR gene on a measure of socio-emotional functioning in schizophrenic patients. OXTR SNPs that were previously investigated in other studies were genotyped in 145 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-IV and 145 healthy controls matched for age and gender. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was used to assess cognitive ('perspective taking'), affective ('empathic concern') and self-related ('personal distress') dimensions of empathy. No group differences in genotype frequencies were observed. MANCOVA revealed a significant main (F [1,282] = 10.464; pGG) with 'empathic concern'. Within the schizophrenia group, linear regression analysis determined OXTR rs2254298 genotype, PANSS negative and general symptom score, and age of disease onset as being significantly associated with 'empathic concern'. OXTR rs2254298 significantly impacted PANSS general psychopathology scores. No associations were found for OXTR rs53576, IRI 'perspective taking' or 'personal distress' ratings. Our preliminary findings support hypotheses about an involvement of OXTR rs2254298 in emotional empathy in schizophrenic and healthy individuals, warranting independent replication

Peak Pursuits: The Emergence of Mountaineering in the Nineteenth Century. By Caroline Schaumann (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020), 365pp.

This is a review of Caroline Schaumann's monograph Peak Pursuits (2020)

Histological markers in nasal mucosa of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Neuropathological changes such as dystrophic neurites and the presence of abnormal tau protein in the olfactory system, including primary sensory cells and nerve fibres have previously been demonstrated in nasal mucosa tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). These changes were detected in autopsy-derived material from histopathologically confirmed AD cases as well as in biopsy tissue from clinical severely ill AD patients. To investigate the potential usefulness for the early diagnosis of AD, we obtained biopsy tissue from olfactory mucosa from 5 clinically mild to moderate AD patients and stained for the presence of tau or beta-amyloid by immunocytochemistry using a panel of specific antibodies. No positive staining was found in any of the cases. For comparison, post-mortem olfactory tissue from AD patients with severe neuropathological changes (widespread neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid in the brain) was investigated, in these severe cases, tau immunoreactivity was found in fine nerve fibres in the lamina propria and in a few olfactory epithelial cells. These results are consistent with other reports showing that cytoskeletal changes and tau pathology in the olfactory epithelium are not primary (or specific) features of AD and may occur predominantly in late stages of the disease

Mediating Mountains

Mountains confront us in many guises. They visualize space and provide geopolitical orientations that address questions of historical, cultural, social, national, and individual identities. Mountains are subjects of philosophical reflections, environmental meditations, and ecocritical ontologies. They serve as a means of spiritual invigoration, scientific experimentation, medical therapy, and recreation. They are sources and resources of technological and artistic innovations, human and nonhuman exploitations. Mountain spaces are often borderlands, contested zones of imperial expansion, war, and migration. They are sites of tourism and industrialization, deposits of waste, and repositories of cultural memory; their forms are shaped and reshaped through processes of cultural and geological erosion. This polymorphous and fluid nature turns mountains into a dynamic medium that both reflects and grounds subjectivities. Mountains may also be conceived of as what Timothy Morton calls "hyperobjects" that affect the very ways we come to think about existence, earth, and society. This special issue sets out to examine the cultural and aesthetic malleability of mountains

Residents’ negative attitude towards air traffic is associated with impaired objective sleep quality

Objectives: Nocturnal aircraft noise induces sleep disturbances and is associated with impaired quality of life. The magnitude of physiological and psychological responses to noise varies among individuals. Stable individual vulnerabilities have been reported for aircraft noise induced awakenings. To date it is unknown, whether the subjective attitude towards air traffic and residents' sleep quality impact on each other. Methods: Seventy-four out of 81 investigated residents around Frankfurt Airport (Germany) rated their attitude towards air traffic (from 1 = negative to 5 = positive; negative attitude: score ≤ 2, N=28, mean age 44 ± 16 years; moderate to positive attitude: score > 3, N=46, mean age 44 ± 15 years) and evaluated its necessity (from 1 = not necessary to 5 = highly necessary; no to moderate necessity: score ≤ 3, N=22, mean age 45 ± 10 years; high necessity: score > 3, N=52, mean age 43 ± 17 years). In addition, polysomnographical recordings were obtained in residents' home environment. These investigations were part of the NORAH sleep study in 2012. Results: Significant impairments in sleep quality (prolonged sleep onset latency, increased wake after sleep onset, reduced sleep efficiency, and less deep sleep) were found for participants with a negative attitude towards air traffic. The judgement of no or moderate necessity of air traffic was associated with a significantly reduced deep sleep duration. Conclusions: Residents' subjective attitude towards air traffic and their objective sleep quality are related. Cause and effect in this relationship remain to be identified

Comparison of two devices and two breathing patterns for exhaled breath condensate sampling.

Analysis of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a noninvasive method to access the epithelial lining fluid of the lungs. Due to standardization problems the method has not entered clinical practice. The aim of the study was to assess the comparability for two commercially available devices in healthy controls. In addition, we assessed different breathing patterns in healthy controls with protein markers to analyze the source of the EBC. EBC was collected from ten subjects using the RTube and ECoScreen Turbo in a randomized crossover design, twice with every device--once in tidal breathing and once in hyperventilation. EBC conductivity, pH, surfactant protein A, Clara cell secretory protein and total protein were assessed. Bland-Altman plots were constructed to display the influence of different devices or breathing patterns and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated. The volatile organic compound profile was measured using the electronic nose Cyranose 320. For the analysis of these data, the linear discriminant analysis, the Mahalanobis distances and the cross-validation values (CVV) were calculated. Neither the device nor the breathing pattern significantly altered EBC pH or conductivity. ICCs ranged from 0.61 to 0.92 demonstrating moderate to very good agreement. Protein measurements were greatly influenced by breathing pattern, the device used, and the way in which the results were reported. The electronic nose could distinguish between different breathing patterns and devices, resulting in Mahalanobis distances greater than 2 and CVVs ranging from 64% to 87%. EBC pH and (to a lesser extent) EBC conductivity are stable parameters that are not influenced by either the device or the breathing patterns. Protein measurements remain uncertain due to problems of standardization. We conclude that the influence of the breathing maneuver translates into the necessity to keep the volume of ventilated air constant in further studies

Lack of multiple copies of pfmdr1 gene in Papua New Guinea

We describe here the results of an analysis of Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance protein 1 (pfmdr1) gene copy number from 440 field isolates from Papua New Guinea. No multiple copies of the gene were found, which corresponds to the lack of usage of mefloquine. These data extend regional knowledge about the distribution of multidrug-resistant P. falciparu