Agitation in the morning: symptom of depression in dementia?

Objective: To investigate the possible correlations between depression in dementia and agitation in the morning by a prospective naturalistic study.

Methods: Data were collected from three independent nursing homes in an urban setting. Trained nursing home staff pre-selected 110 demented and agitated patients with a minimum age of 60 years.

Extreme-ultraviolet-induced oxidation of Mo/Si multilayers.

The extreme-ultraviolet (EUV)-induced oxidation of Mo/Si multilayer mirrors was characterized by several methods: EUV reflectivity, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, small-angle x-ray reflectometry, atomic force microscopy, and EUV scattering measurements. Based on the results of the different investigation techniques, an oxidation model was developed to explain the degradation of the mirrors under EUV radiation.

Hydrogen sulphide release to surface waters at the Precambrian/Cambrian boundary.

Animal-like multicellular fossils appeared towards the end of the Precambrian, followed by a rapid increase in the abundance and diversity of fossils during the Early Cambrian period, an event also known as the 'Cambrian explosion'. Changes in the environmental conditions at the Precambrian/Cambrian transition (about 542 Myr ago) have been suggested as a possible explanation for this event, but are still a matter of debate. Here we report molybdenum isotope signatures of black shales from two stratigraphically correlated sample sets with a depositional age of around 542 Myr.

[Antibiotic treatment of surgical intensive care patients: procalcitonin to guide duration of therapy].

The development of resistance by infective bacterial species is an incentive to reconsider the indications and administration of available antibiotics. Correct recognition of the indications and duration of therapy are particularly important for the use of highly potent substances in the intensive care situation. There has as yet been no clinical chemical parameter which is capable of specifically distinguishing a bacterial infection from a viral or non-infectious inflammatory reaction, but it now appears that procalcitonin (PCT) offers this possibility.

Roughness evolution and scatter losses of multilayers for 193 nm optics.

Optical scattering arising from interface roughness and interference effects is a dominant loss mechanism of thin film coatings for 193 nm. A procedure is presented where at-wavelength scatter measurements in combination with atomic force microscopy are used as a tool for the in-depth characterization of the origins of scattering. For highly reflective coatings, the influence of the substrate roughness on the growth properties is analyzed.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection caused by Actinomyces neuii subsp. neuii.

Actinomyces neuii subsp. neuii is a rare isolate in clinical specimens. The organism was previously designated CDC coryneform group 1 and was renamed in 1994.

Detection of plaque rupture using 64-slice multidetector row computed tomography.

The present case report describes a 37-year-old man who presented to the emergency room with symptoms of a myocardial infarction but no high-grade stenosis on conventional catheter angiography. Consecutive multidetector row computed tomography of the coronary arteries showed an intimal flap along a fibrous plaque formation in the left anterior descending artery. This finding was found to represent a plaque rupture, and the lesion was treated with an 18 mm stent.

[Impact of vascular pathology on survival times of 173 dementia patients--Hachinski's ischemic score as a predictive tool for clinical purposes].

Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia still may be looked upon as distinct nosologic entities, representing the two main etiologic categories of senile dementia. However, rather recent findings suggest a comorbidity of neurodegenerative and ischemic pathology in a majority of dementia cases in later life. The effect of the vascular pathology on the survival time was studied in 173 dementia outpatients.

[The quality of the diagnostic assessment of dementia in nursing homes].

The increasing prevalence of psychogeriatric disorders among nursing home (NH) residents poses a challenge to both specialists and non-specialists. Dementia is the most common disorder among NH residents. However, studies show a lack of diagnostic and therapeutic precision in dementia among this population.

Quantitative gel electrophoresis: sources of variation.

Gel electrophoresis is known for its often unsatisfactory precision. Percental relative standard deviations (RSD%) in a range of 15-70% have been reported. Therefore, an improvement of precision in quantitative 2-DE is necessary.

Reasons for explantation of totally implantable access ports: a multivariate analysis of 385 consecutive patients.

Background: The objective of this study was to analyze factors leading to explantation of totally implanted access ports (TIAPs) and to assess its occurrence and clinical relevance.

Methods: Of 438 patient consecutive patients with a port explantation, 385 were eligible for this retrospective cohort study. Reasons for explantation as well as demographic, clinical, and surgical characteristics were analyzed by univariate and multivariate models.

Acute renal haemodynamic effects of radiocontrast media in patients undergoing left ventricular and coronary angiography.

Background: Tubular toxicity and renal ischaemia have been implicated in the pathogenesis of radiocontrast media induced nephropathy (CIN), but their respective role remains unclear. Aims. In order to evaluate changes in renal blood flow in response to intra-arterial contrast media administration, we aimed to continuously measure renal arterial perfusion by means of renal blood flow velocity (RBFV) during left ventricular and coronary angiography and subsequent coronary intervention in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Low serum alpha-tocopherol and selenium are associated with accelerated apoptosis in severe sepsis.

During sepsis, a severe systemic disorder, micronutrients often are decreased. Apoptosis is regarded as an important mechanism in the development of often significant immunosuppression in the course of the disease. This study aimed to investigate alpha-tocopherol and selenium in reference to apoptosis in patients with sepsis.

First experiences with laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) in the treatment of patients with childhood craniopharyngioma and morbid obesity.

Craniopharyngiomas are embryogenic malformations which lead to eating disorders and morbid obesity due to hypothalamic involvement in about 50% of all patients with pediatric craniopharyngioma. The experience with laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) in obese craniopharyngioma patients is limited. We are reporting on four patients with childhood craniopharyngioma diagnosed at age 2, 11, 12, and 21 years.

[Psychosis in elderly post-traumatic stress disorder patients].

Background: Late-onset post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients with traumatic experiences from World War II often present psychotic features.

Methods: Twelve psychotic elderly PTSD patients were compared with 22 nonpsychotic elderly PTSD patients for age, marital status, age of traumatization, age of onset of psychiatric symptoms, and psychiatric comorbidities. The contents of delusions and hallucinations were registered as well as trauma details.

EUV reflectance and scattering of Mo/Si multilayers on differently polished substrates.

Highly reflective Molybdenum/Silicon multilayer mirrors for 13.5 nm are characterized at-wavelength using a new laboratory size measurement system for EUV reflectance and scattering. Roughness analysis before and after coating by Atomic Force Microscopy indicates roughness enhancement as well as smoothing effects during thin film growth.

The 2007 Frank Stinchfield Award. The biomechanics of the hip labrum and the stability of the hip.

We explored the mechanical factors leading to the formation of labral tears and the effect of these lesions on hip kinematics at the extremes of joint motion. Using a 3D motion analysis system, the stability of six cadaveric hips was measured during loading maneuvers known to impose anterior loads on the joint margin. These measurements were repeated following venting of the capsule, and after creation of a 15-mm tear in the intact labrum.

[Nasojejunal enteral feeding tubes in critically ill patients. Successful placement without technical assistance].

Background: Critically ill patients with early enteral feeding seem to profit from post-pyloric administration. Two feeding tubes were studied that, due to their construction, are able to move into the duodenum without the necessity of technical support. The duration until successful positioning, time until total enteral feeding and possible complications were compared.

Late enhancement using multidetector row computer tomography: a feasibility study with low dose 80 kV protocol.

Aims: Detecting stenoses of coronary arteries with multidetector row computer tomography (MDCT) is a well feasible non-invasive method. However, there is still the problem of deciding whether a stenosis is hemodynamically relevant or not. Objective of the present study was to validate the feasibility of a low dose protocol for MDCT using 80 kV for detecting late enhancement.

Human polymer-based cartilage grafts for the regeneration of articular cartilage defects.

The use of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) and its further development combining autologous chondrocytes with bioresorbable matrices may represent a promising new technology for cartilage regeneration in orthopaedic research. Aim of our study was to evaluate the applicability of a resorbable three-dimensional polymer of pure polyglycolic acid (PGA) for the use in human cartilage tissue engineering under autologous conditions. Adult human chondrocytes were expanded in vitro using human serum and were rearranged three-dimensionally in human fibrin and PGA.

Patients' use of alternative methods parallel to psychiatric therapy: does the migrational background matter?

Objective: Unconventional medicine is widespread in nearly every culture and often used parallel to professional help. This survey evaluates the use of unconventional methods of psychiatric in-patients with vs. without a background of migration.

Differential expression of CD45 on canine microglial cells.

CD45, also called leucocyte common antigen is a transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase on the surface of nearly all white blood cells and has a functional role in signal transduction. In the brain, the expression of CD45 can be used to distinguish microglial cells with a characteristic phenotype of CD11b/c+ and CD45(low) from other central nervous system (CNS) macrophages which show an expression of CD11b/c+ and CD45(high). In the course of pathological changes in the CNS, microglia in rodents is known to readily upregulate expression of various surface molecules, such as CD45.

[Water rescue. A unique area of emergency medicine with many facets].

Emergencies on or in water are relatively rare in the rescue service. For this reason, water accident treatment and management does not receive much attention in the training of emergency medicine physicians. Consequently doctors working in emergency medicine often have minimal knowledge in this area.

Drug related problems with Antiparkinsonian agents: consumer Internet reports versus published data.

Purpose: There is currently a lack of detailed information concerning drug related problems in the outpatient treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Methods: Problems associated with drug treatment communicated anonymously in Parkinson's disease online forums were therefore retrospectively searched and documented for 1 year.

Results: Based on postings concerning 12 drugs for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, a total of 238 drug related problems were identified and categorised using the Problem Intervention Documentation (PI-Doc).