Indirect scope marking again: a case for generalized question formation

Theoretical and Experimental Linguistic

1.000.000 Fußballfans in einer Stadt mit 120.000 Einwohnern - ein notfallmedizinischer Albtraum?: Die Euro 2008 und das "Oranje-Wunder von Bern"

Zusammenfassung: Die Fußballeuropameisterschaft 2008 war die größte je in der Schweiz organisierte Sportveranstaltung. Eine Million Fußballfans besuchten in diesem Zeitraum Bern, und der lokale Flughafen Bern/Belp verzeichnete 261 zusätzliche Flüge. Pro Fußballspiel waren 33.000 Zuschauer im Stadion und 100.000 schauten in den Public-viewing-Zonen zu. Der Rettungsdienst und das Notfallzentrum des Inselspitals am Universitätsklinikum Bern waren für die medizinische Grundversorgung und die Notfallversorgung zuständig. Verletzungen und Krankheiten wurden mit einem standardisierten Score (NACA-Score, NACA National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics) analysiert. Details zu den Vorbereitungen, Kosten und Patientenzahlen werden im vorliegenden Artikel dargestellt. Insgesamt waren 30 zusätzlich Ambulanzfahrzeuge im Einsatz, 4723 zusätzliche Arbeitstage (1/3 davon durch medizinische Fachkräfte) wurden geleistet, 662 Ambulanzrufe gingen ein, 240 Personen benötigten eine medizinische Versorgung (62% Schweizer, 28% Niederländer, 10% anderer Nationalität). Von diesen wurden 51 Personen in einem der 4 städtischen Krankenhäuser behandelt. Es kamen keine Verletzungen der Grade NACAVI und VII vor (NACAI 4, NACAII 17, NACAIII 16, NACAIV 10, NACAV 4Patienten). Die Stadt Bern erstattete dem Inselspital 112.603EUR für die medizinische Versorgung. Die größten Anteile daran hatten die Sicherheitsmaßnahmen (50.300EUR) und die Kosten für medizinisches Personal (22.600EUR für Ärzte, 29.000EUR für Pflegefachkräfte). Aufgrund des schlechten Wetters und des vorbildlichen Verhaltens der Fans nahmen die Ereignisse einen eher friedlichen Verlau

Validation of computer-adaptive contrast sensitivity as a tool to assess visual impairment in multiple sclerosis patients

BACKGROUND: Impairment of visual function is one of the major symptoms of people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). A multitude of disease effects including inflammation and neurodegeneration lead to structural impairment in the visual system. However, the gold standard of disability quantification, the expanded disability status scale (EDSS), relies on visual assessment charts. A more comprehensive assessment of visual function is the full contrast sensitivity function (CSF), but most tools are time consuming and not feasible in clinical routine. The quantitative CSF (qCSF) test is a computerized test to assess the full CSF. We have already shown a better correlation with visual quality of life (QoL) than for classical high and low contrast charts in multiple sclerosis (MS). OBJECTIVE: To study the precision, test duration, and repeatability of the qCSF in pwMS. In order to evaluate the discrimination ability, we compared the data of pwMS to healthy controls. METHODS: We recruited two independent cohorts of MS patients. Within the precision cohort (n = 54), we analyzed the benefit of running 50 instead of 25 qCSF trials. The repeatability cohort (n = 44) was assessed by high contrast vision charts and qCSF assessments twice and we computed repeatability metrics. For the discrimination ability we used the data from all pwMS without any previous optic neuritis and compared the area under the log CSF (AULCSF) to an age-matched healthy control data set. RESULTS: We identified 25 trials of the qCSF algorithm as a sufficient amount for a precise estimate of the CSF. The median test duration for one eye was 185 s (range 129-373 s). The AULCSF had better test-retest repeatability (Mean Average Precision, MAP) than visual acuity measured by standard high contrast visual acuity charts or CSF acuity measured with the qCSF (0.18 vs. 0.11 and 0.17, respectively). Even better repeatability (MAP = 0.19) was demonstrated by a CSF-derived feature that was inspired by low-contrast acuity charts, i.e., the highest spatial frequency at 25% contrast. When compared to healthy controls, the MS patients showed reduced CSF (average AULCSF 1.21 vs. 1.42, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: High precision, usability, repeatability, and discrimination support the qCSF as a tool to assess contrast vision in pwMS

Nucleation of a sodium droplet on C60

We investigate theoretically the progressive coating of C60 by several sodium atoms. Density functional calculations using a nonlocal functional are performed for NaC60 and Na2C60 in various configurations. These data are used to construct an empirical atomistic model in order to treat larger sizes in a statistical and dynamical context. Fluctuating charges are incorporated to account for charge transfer between sodium and carbon atoms. By performing systematic global optimization in the size range 1<=n<=30, we find that Na_nC60 is homogeneously coated at small sizes, and that a growing droplet is formed above n=>8. The separate effects of single ionization and thermalization are also considered, as well as the changes due to a strong external electric field. The present results are discussed in the light of various experimental data.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figure

Pattern formation in directional solidification under shear flow. I: Linear stability analysis and basic patterns

An asymptotic interface equation for directional solidification near the absolute stabiliy limit is extended by a nonlocal term describing a shear flow parallel to the interface. In the long-wave limit considered, the flow acts destabilizing on a planar interface. Moreover, linear stability analysis suggests that the morphology diagram is modified by the flow near the onset of the Mullins-Sekerka instability. Via numerical analysis, the bifurcation structure of the system is shown to change. Besides the known hexagonal cells, structures consisting of stripes arise. Due to its symmetry-breaking properties, the flow term induces a lateral drift of the whole pattern, once the instability has become active. The drift velocity is measured numerically and described analytically in the framework of a linear analysis. At large flow strength, the linear description breaks down, which is accompanied by a transition to flow-dominated morphologies, described in a companion paper. Small and intermediate flows lead to increased order in the lattice structure of the pattern, facilitating the elimination of defects. Locally oscillating structures appear closer to the instability threshold with flow than without.Comment: 20 pages, Latex, accepted for Physical Review

A self-interaction corrected pseudopotential scheme for magnetic and strongly-correlated systems

Local-spin-density functional calculations may be affected by severe errors when applied to the study of magnetic and strongly-correlated materials. Some of these faults can be traced back to the presence of the spurious self-interaction in the density functional. Since the application of a fully self-consistent self-interaction correction is highly demanding even for moderately large systems, we pursue a strategy of approximating the self-interaction corrected potential with a non-local, pseudopotential-like projector, first generated within the isolated atom and then updated during the self-consistent cycle in the crystal. This scheme, whose implementation is totally uncomplicated and particularly suited for the pseudopotental formalism, dramatically improves the LSDA results for a variety of compounds with a minimal increase of computing cost.Comment: 18 pages, 14 figure

Effects of ß-Lactam Antibiotics and Fluoroquinolones on Human Gut Microbiota in Relation to Clostridium difficile Associated Diarrhea

Clostridium difficile infections are an emerging health problem in the modern hospital environment. Severe alterations of the gut microbiome with loss of resistance to colonization against C. difficile are thought to be the major trigger, but there is no clear concept of how C. difficile infection evolves and which microbiological factors are involved. We sequenced 16S rRNA amplicons generated from DNA and RNA/cDNA of fecal samples from three groups of individuals by FLX technology: (i) healthy controls (no antibiotic therapy); (ii) individuals receiving antibiotic therapy (Ampicillin/Sulbactam, cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones with subsequent development of C. difficile infection or (iii) individuals receiving antibiotic therapy without C. difficile infection. We compared the effects of the three different antibiotic classes on the intestinal microbiome and the effects of alterations of the gut microbiome on C. difficile infection at the DNA (total microbiota) and rRNA (potentially active) levels. A comparison of antibiotic classes showed significant differences at DNA level, but not at RNA level. Among individuals that developed or did not develop a C. difficile infection under antibiotics we found no significant differences. We identified single species that were up- or down regulated in individuals receiving antibiotics who developed the infection compared to non-infected individuals. We found no significant differences in the global composition of the transcriptionally active gut microbiome associated with C. difficile infections. We suggest that up- and down regulation of specific bacterial species may be involved in colonization resistance against C. difficile providing a potential therapeutic approach through specific manipulation of the intestinal microbiome