New Magnetic Anomaly Map of the Antarctic

The second generation Antarctic magnetic anomaly compilation for the region south of 60 degrees S includes some 3.5 million line-km of aeromagnetic and marine magnetic data that more than doubles the initial map's near-surface database. For the new compilation, the magnetic data sets were corrected for the International Geomagnetic Reference Field, diurnal effects, and high-frequency errors and leveled, gridded, and stitched together. The new magnetic data further constrain the crustal architecture and geological evolution of the Antarctic Peninsula and the West Antarctic Rift System in West Antarctica, as well as Dronning Maud Land, the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, the Prince Charles Mountains, Princess Elizabeth Land, and Wilkes Land in East Antarctica and the circumjacent oceanic margins. Overall, the magnetic anomaly compilation helps unify disparate regional geologic and geophysical studies by providing new constraints on major tectonic and magmatic processes that affected the Antarctic from Precambrian to Cenozoic times.Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) programs, PM15040 and PE17050Germany's AWI/Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine ResearchFederal Institute for Geosciences and Natural ResourcesBritish Antarctic Survey/Natural Environmental Research CouncilItalian Antarctic Research ProgrammeRussian Ministry of Natural ResourcesU.S. National Science Foundation and National Space and Aeronautics AdministrationAustralian Antarctic Division and Antarctic Climate & Ecosystem Cooperative Research CentreFrench Polar InstituteGlobal geomagnetic observatories network (INTERMAGNET

Nerve growth factor serum levels in treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients following electroconvulsive therapy

Background Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) has been widely applied to treat schizophrenia (SCZ) in the presence of resistance to pharmacotherapy. The mechanism of action of ECT in schizophrenia has not been fully clarified, though its intrinsic mechanism presents analogies with some neurobiological processes mediated by nerve growth factor (NGF). Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) the effect of ECT on acute and long-term NGF serum levels and the association with the clinical outcomes. Methods. Twelve male inpatients with TRS underwent eight sessions of ECT. Blood samples were collected during the first and the eighth ECT at the following time points: 5 minutes before the induction of seizure and then at 0, 5, 15 and 30 minutes after seizure. Results. Following ECT treatment, a substantial clinical improvement in symptom severity was indicated by a significant reduction in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total and subscales scores. Even though the baseline NGF levels showed an increase over time, there were no statistical differences in NGF at time 0 at the first and the eighth ECT session. Furthermore, no correlation was observed between the severity of schizophrenic symptoms and NGF levels. Conclusions. This is the first study addressing peripheral NGF during ECT treatment in TRS, as well as the first study in which NGF has been evaluated in different ECT sessions at various time points. These findings may potentiate the knowledge about the neurotrophic effects of ECT and the role of NGF in synaptic plasticity related to possible mechanisms of schizophrenia treatment.

Breast biphasic compression versus standard monophasic compression in X-ray mammography

Breast biphasic compression (22.5 degrees angled paddle, followed by progressive angle reduction) was compared with standard monophasic compression in x-ray mammography. The presence of the pectoral muscle was recorded for the craniocaudal (CC) view and the presence of the inframammary fold for the mediolateral oblique (MLO) view. The amount of breast in each study and image quality were assessed for both views. For all parameters, biphasic compression performed better than monophasic compression in both CC (P: <.006) and MLO (P: <.04) views

Corpus callosum abnormalities and potential age effect in male schizophrenics: an MRI comparative study

The goal of this investigation was to evaluate corpus callosum (CC) morphometry in schizophrenia. In consideration of possible confounders such as age, gender and handedness, our study sample was restricted to right-handed male subjects, aged 18–55 years. In addition, we controlled for age at onset, illness duration and exposure to antipsychotic medication. Midsagittal CC linear and area Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) measurements were performed on 50 subjects with schizophrenia and 50 healthy controls. After controlling for midsagittal cortical brain area and age, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) revealed an overall effect of diagnosis on CC splenium width and CC anterior midbody area and a diagnosis by age interaction. Independent Student t tests revealed a smaller CC splenium width in the 36- to 45-year-old age group among the patients with schizophrenia and a smaller CC anterior midbody area in the 18- to 25-year-old age group among the patients with schizophrenia compared with controls. Age, age at onset, illness duration and psychopathology ratings did not show any significant correlations with the whole CC MRI measurements. A negative correlation was found between CC rostrum area and the estimated lifetime neuroleptic consumption. The results are discussed in terms of the possibility that CC structural changes may underlie the functional impairments, frequently reported in schizophrenia, of the associated cortical regions. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved