Diagnostic measures for patients with systemic sclerosis-associated myopathy.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinico-serological profile and to assess diagnostic parameters of myopathy in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated myopathy.

Methods: We explored the profiles of SSc-myopathy patients and matched non-myopathy SSc patients as well as different diagnostic measures for muscle affection. Additionally, the muscle performance of SSc-myopathy patients, assessed by the Manual Muscle Test for 8 muscle groups (MMT-8) and the Functional Index-2 (FI-2), was compared with that of patients with primary myositis.

Large-Scale Crustal-Block-Extrusion During Late Alpine Collision.

The crustal-scale geometry of the European Alps has been explained by a classical subduction-scenario comprising thrust-and-fold-related compressional wedge tectonics and isostatic rebound. However, massive blocks of crystalline basement (External Crystalline Massifs) vertically disrupt the upper-crustal wedge. In the case of the Aar massif, top basement vertically rises for >12 km and peak metamorphic temperatures increase along an orogen-perpendicular direction from 250 °C-450 °C over horizontal distances of only <15 km (Innertkirchen-Grimselpass), suggesting exhumation of midcrustal rocks with increasing uplift component along steep vertical shear zones.

Epigenetic variation, inheritance, and selection in plant populations.

Plant populations show phenotypic diversity, which may be caused by genetic and epigenetic variation. It has recently been shown that new epigenetic variants are generated at a higher rate than genetic variants and several studies have shown that epigenetic variation can be influenced by the environment. Although the heritability of environmentally induced epigenetic traits has gained increasing interest in past years, it is still not clear whether and to what extent induced epigenetic changes have a role in ecology and evolution.

Randomized clinical trial of an Internet-based versus brief office intervention for adolescent smoking cessation.

Objective: Evaluation of novel treatment delivery methods, such as the Internet are notably absent from the adolescent smoking treatment literature.

Methods: Adolescent smokers ages 11-18 years were randomized to a clinic-based, brief office intervention (BOI; N=69) consisting of four individual counseling sessions; or to Stomp Out Smokes (SOS), an Internet, home-based intervention (N=70). Adolescents in SOS had access to the SOS site for 24 weeks.

[Diagnostic results of pediatric-child psychiatric cooperation exemplified by the Pediatric Clinic of the Winterthur Canton Hospital 1971-1980].

This article reports on the diagnostic results of 232 patients who were examined in close collaboration by the paediatrician and the child psychiatrist at a Swiss children's hospital between 1971 and 1980. The main diagnosis was psychogenic disorders with mainly psychic symptoms in 53.9% of the cases, psychogenic disorders with mainly somatic symptoms in 37.