Dietary reapamycin selectively improves arterial function in old mice

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The Effects of Mental Illness on Trust Between Military Veterans

Service members have reported the perception that seeking treatment for, and/or having a mental illness will cause a loss of trust between a service member and his/her leaders and peers (Nash, Silva, and Litz, 2009; Hoge et al, 2004). This study aimed to determine if the presence of a mental illness affects the trust between service members and determine whether other variables moderated this relationship. Using social media and Mechanical Turk an internet participant-recruiting site operated by Amazon, data were collected from 220 military Veterans. Participants were assessed using a research developed Demographics Questionnaire, the Combat Exposure Scale, The Unit Cohesion Scale, and the Trust in Teams Scale. Participants were randomized into three groups. Each of the three groups read a different scenario depicting a service member. Results of this study do not support the existence of a measureable loss in trust with disclosure of a mental illness. A significant increase in predictability and global trust scores was observed when participants read the scenario different scenarios. The results, specifically that trust did not change as a function of a unit member displaying symptoms of mental illness and that treatment for a mental illness, improved trust scores on the facets of global trust and predictability, provide the basis for future research into this area

Calculation of ankle and knee joint moments during ACL-injury situations in soccer

AbstractThe basis of ACL-injury prevention is the understanding of the injury mechanism. Therefore a new approach was developed and validated that enables the calculation of knee and ankle joint moments during the injury. Detailed analysis of ACL-injury situations was performed to detect the kinematics as input data for a simplified 3D-human body model. An inverse-dynamics approach was used to realize the movement. The model was driven by Net-Muscle-Torque-Motors that calculate 3-D ankle and knee joint moments. Although there are some limitations that have to be considered this approach has the potential to generate a better understanding of injury mechanisms

INTERMETATARSAL BURSITIS AS A MANIFESTATION OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS – A CASE PRESENTATION

U radu je prikazana bolesnica s reumatoidnim artritisom i egzacerbacijom bolesti koja se očitovala pretežno intermetatarzalnim burzitisom. On je objektiviziran muskuloskeletnim ultrazvukom, dok nalaz na metatarzofalangealnim zglobovima nije upućivao na upalnu aktivnost. Na prikazu zahvaćenog stopala magnetskom rezonancijom jasno su vidljive povećane strukture intermetatarzalnih burza, koje prelaze uobičajene anatomske granice te tvore znak pješčanog sata. Učinjena je infi ltracija burza depo-pripravkom metilprednizolona, čime su postignuti znatno kliničko poboljšanje i radiološka regresija upalnih promjena intermetatarzalnih burza. S obzirom na to da je u trenutku egzacerbacije bolesti postavljena sumnja na aktivni artritis, a bolesnica je prethodno liječena konvencionalnom terapijom (cDMARD) te bi se, prema terapijskim smjernicama, u tom trenutku trebala uvesti biološka terapija, istaknuta je vrijednost muskuloskeletnog ultrazvuka i ciljane intervencije poduprte ultrazvukom u striktnoj kontroli aktivnosti bolesti i razlučivanju uzroka metatarzalgije u pacijenata s upalnim reumatskim bolestima. U daljnjim istraživanjima nužno je bolje opisati pojavnost intermetatarzalnih burza u reumatoidnom artritisu, njihovo kliničko i prognostičko značenje i optimalne terapijske pristupe.We present a patient with an exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis featuring intermetatarsal bursitis. Inflammatory changes in the intermetatarsal bursae were confi rmed by ultrasonography, whereas there was no sign of inflammation in the metatarsophalangeal joints. Enlarged structures of the intermetatarsal bursae that transgressed the normal anatomical boundaries, thus producing the ‘hourglass’ sign, were visualized by magnetic resonance imaging. Ultrasound-controlled infiltration of depo-methylprednisolon administered to the affected bursae led to clinical improvement and radiological regression. Administration of a biological agent would be the next disease management option in line with the therapeutic guidelines in the setting of active arthritis suspected in our patient’s arthritis fl are-up. Thus we would like to emphasize the value of musculosceletal US and targeted intervention in ‘tight-control’ disease management and in diff erentiating the cause of metatarsalgia in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Further investigations are required to determine the incidence of intermetatarsal bursitis in rheumatoid arthritis as well as their clinical and prognostic significance and optimal therapeutic approach

Utjecaj aktivnosti bolesti i funkcionalne onesposobljenosti bolesnika s reumatoidnim artritisom na razinu zadovoljstva pruženom reumatološkom uslugom

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA ) is a disease that requires regular monitoring of therapeutic efficacy and patients’ quality of life (QOL ). The aim of this study is to determine the influence of disease activity and duration, as well as functional disability, on the patients’ perception of satisfaction with the provided care, and to evaluate the satisfaction with respect to the patient-physician relationship and the factors that affect the patients’ satisfaction level. The observational non-interventional study included 53 consecutive RA patients who regularly attend the outpatient clinic. Prior to the scheduled examination the patients completed a standardized Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire and a Health Care Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). The patients were divided according to their HAQ score, disease activity measured by DAS 28 score (Disease Activity Score 28), disease duration, and presence of bDMARD s (biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) in therapy. The results showed that the patients were largely satisfied with the service provided. The highest scores were achieved in the categories of the technical quality and competence of the physician and the doctor’s attitude towards the patient. The lowest scores were related to the inability of an easy telephone access or emergency consultation and to the time spent in the waiting room. The level of disease activity did not significantly affect the degree of satisfaction with the provided health care. Additionally, patients who were classified as having severe to very severe disability by HAQ score had slightly lower satisfaction rates in all examined categories. Furthermore, patients treated with bDMARD s and those with disease lasting more than five years reported higher satisfaction rates in all categories. In conclusion, patients with a higher degree of disability experience a slightly lower level of satisfaction with medical care, whereas patients with long standing disease and those treated with bDMARD s report higher levels of satisfaction with the specialist care. Satisfaction with the professional service provided in the specialist rheumatology unit can contribute to the improvement of the patients’ perception of satisfaction with QOL .Reumatoidni artritis (RA ) bolest je koja nalaže kontinuirano praćenje učinkovitosti liječenja i kvalitete života bolesnika. Ciljevi istraživanja bili su utvrđivanje utjecaja aktivnosti bolesti na percepciju zadovoljstva bolesnika, evaluacija zadovoljstva bolesnika odnosom liječnik – pacijent te identifikacija čimbenika koji utječu na razinu zadovoljstva. Ova presječna opservacijska neintervencijska studija obuhvatila je 53 konsekutivna bolesnika s RA koji su dolazili na redovite ambulantne preglede u Zavod za kliničku imunologiju i reumatologiju. Bolesnici su prije pregleda ispunili standardizirani Upitnik o zadovoljstvu pacijenata te Upitnik o procjeni općega zdravstvenog stanja (HAQ). Ispitanici su podijeljeni u skupine prema vrijednostima rezultata HAQ a, aktivnosti bolesti i njezinu trajanju te ovisno o tome primaju li biološku terapiju. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da su bolesnici uvelike zadovoljni pruženom uslugom. Najviše ocjene postignute su u kategorijama tehničke kvalitete i kompetentnosti liječnika te odnosa liječnika prema bolesniku. Najniže ocjene zadovoljstva odnosile su se na nemogućnost jednostavnoga telefonskog pristupa ili izvanredne konzultacije te na duljinu čekanja u čekaonici. Razina aktivnosti bolesti mjerena prema DAS 28-SE (engl. Disease Activity Score 28) nije bitno utjecala na stupanj zadovoljstva bolesnika pruženom uslugom. Nadalje, bolesnici koji su prema HAQ-u ubrojeni u skupinu teške do vrlo teške onesposobljenosti javili su diskretno niži stupanj zadovoljstva u svim ispitivanim kategorijama. Također, bolesnici liječeni biološkim lijekovima i oni s trajanjem bolesti duljim od 5 godina pokazali su više razine zadovoljstva u svim kategorijama. Zaključno, bolesnici s višom razinom funkcionalne onesposobljenosti izrazili su nešto nižu razinu zadovoljstva pruženom skrbi u reumatološkoj poliklinici, dok su bolesnici s dugotrajnom bolesti, kao i oni liječeni biološkom terapijom izrazili veće zadovoljstvo pruženom skrbi. Zadovoljstvo pacijenata specijalističkom uslugom pridonosi njihovu većem zadovoljstvu kvalitetom života

Band-theoretical prediction of magnetic anisotropy in uranium monochalcogenides

Magnetic anisotropy of uranium monochalcogenides, US, USe and UTe, is studied by means of fully-relativistic spin-polarized band structure calculations within the local spin-density approximation. It is found that the size of the magnetic anisotropy is fairly large (about 10 meV/unit formula), which is comparable with experiment. This strong anisotropy is discussed in view of a pseudo-gap formation, of which crucial ingredients are the exchange splitting of U 5f states and their hybridization with chalcogen p states (f-p hybridization). An anomalous trend in the anisotropy is found in the series (US>>USe<UTe) and interpreted in terms of competition between localization of the U 5f states and the f-p hybridization. It is the spin-orbit interaction on the chalcogen p states that plays an essential role in enlarging the strength of the f-p hybridization in UTe, leading to an anomalous systematic trend in the magnetic anisotropy.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Electronic structure of superconducting graphite intercalate compounds: The role of the interlayer state

Although not an intrinsic superconductor, it has been long--known that, when intercalated with certain dopants, graphite is capable of exhibiting superconductivity. Of the family of graphite--based materials which are known to superconduct, perhaps the most well--studied are the alkali metal--graphite intercalation compounds (GIC) and, of these, the most easily fabricated is the C${}_8$K system which exhibits a transition temperature $\bm{T_c\simeq 0.14}$K. By increasing the alkali metal concentration (through high pressure fabrication techniques), the transition temperature has been shown to increase to as much as $\bm 5$K in C${}_2$Na. Lately, in an important recent development, Weller \emph{et al.} have shown that, at ambient conditions, the intercalated compounds \cyb and \cca exhibit superconductivity with transition temperatures $\bm{T_c\simeq 6.5}$K and $\bm{11.5}$K respectively, in excess of that presently reported for other graphite--based compounds. We explore the architecture of the states near the Fermi level and identify characteristics of the electronic band structure generic to GICs. As expected, we find that charge transfer from the intercalant atoms to the graphene sheets results in the occupation of the $\bm\pi$--bands. Yet, remarkably, in all those -- and only those -- compounds that superconduct, we find that an interlayer state, which is well separated from the carbon sheets, also becomes occupied. We show that the energy of the interlayer band is controlled by a combination of its occupancy and the separation between the carbon layers.Comment: 4 Figures. Please see accompanying experimental manuscript "Superconductivity in the Intercalated Graphite Compounds C6Yb and C6Ca" by Weller et a

Crystalline structure and orientation of gold clusters grown in preformed nanometer-sized pits

Abstract Gold clusters were produced by condensing evaporated gold in nanometer-sized preformed pits on the surface of highly Ž . oriented pyrolytic graphite HOPG . The height of the clusters was 6.7 &quot; 0.7 nm as measured with scanning tunneling microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum, the lateral width was 10.1 &quot; 1.9 nm as determined with transmission electron microscopy Ž . TEM . Using TEM for electron diffraction, we obtained information on the crystalline structure of the clusters. The Ž . intensity of the observed diffraction rings shows the preferential orientation of the clusters with the 111 plane of the gold Ž . lattice parallel to the 0001 surface of HOPG. This was compared to the diffraction pattern of gold clusters produced in the gas phase by inert-gas evaporation and deposited on a flat HOPG surface at room temperature as complete units which showed no preferential orientation. The directional alignment in the surface plane as it is described in the literature for larger gold crystallites grown on a flat HOPG surface is not observed for the nanometer-sized clusters grown in pits