High frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the left dorsolateral cortex: EEG topography during waking and subsequent sleep.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a novel research tool in neurology and psychiatry. It is currently being evaluated as a conceivable alternative to electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of mood disorders. Eight healthy young (age range 21-25 years) right-handed men without sleep complaints participated in the study. Two sessions at a 1-week interval, each consisting of an adaptation night (sham stimulation) and an experimental night (rTMS in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or sham stimulation; crossover design), were scheduled. In each subject, 40 trains of 2-s duration of rTMS (inter-train interval 28 s) were applied at a frequency of 20 Hz (i.e. 1600 pulses per session) and at an intensity of 90% of the motor threshold. Stimulations were scheduled 80 min before lights off. The waking EEG was recorded for 10-min intervals approximately 30 min prior to and after the 20-min stimulations, and polysomnographic recordings were obtained during the subsequent sleep episode (23.00-07.00 h). The power spectra of two referential derivations, as well as of bipolar derivations along the antero-posterior axis over the left and right hemispheres, were analyzed. rTMS induced a small reduction of sleep stage 1 (in min and percentage of total sleep time) over the whole night and a small enhancement of sleep stage 4 during the first non-REM sleep episode. Other sleep variables were not affected. rTMS of the left dorsolateral cortex did not alter the topography of EEG power spectra in waking following stimulation, in the all-night sleep EEG, or during the first non-REM sleep episode. Our results indicate that a single session of rTMS using parameters like those used in depression treatment protocols has no detectable side effects with respect to sleep in young healthy males.

Is there a recognition memory deficit in Parkinson's disease? Evidence from estimates of recollection and familiarity

There is conflicting evidence whether Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with impaired recognition memory and which of its underlying processes, namely recollection and familiarity, is more affected by the disease. The present study explored the contribution of recollection and familiarity to verbal recognition memory performance in 14 nondemented PD patients and a healthy control group with two different methods: (i) the word-frequency mirror effect, and (ii) Remember/Know judgments. Overall, recognition memory of patients was intact. The word-frequency mirror effect was observed both in patients and controls: Hit rates were higher and false alarm rates were lower for low-frequency compared to high-frequency words. However, Remember/Know judgments indicated normal recollection, but impaired familiarity. Our findings suggest that mild to moderate PD patients are selectively impaired at familiarity whereas recollection and overall recognition memory are intact.

Recognition memory across the lifespan: the impact of word frequency and study-test interval on estimates of familiarity and recollection

The goal of this study was to investigate recognition memory performance across the lifespan and to determine how estimates of recollection and familiarity contribute to performance. In each of three experiments, participants from five groups from 14 up to 85 years of age (children, young adults, middle-aged adults, young-old adults, and old-old adults) were presented with high- and low-frequency words in a study phase and were tested immediately afterwards and/or after a one day retention interval. The results showed that word frequency and retention interval affected recognition memory performance as well as estimates of recollection and familiarity. Across the lifespan, the trajectory of recognition memory followed an inverse u-shape function that was neither affected by word frequency nor by retention interval. The trajectory of estimates of recollection also followed an inverse u-shape function, and was especially pronounced for low-frequency words. In contrast, estimates of familiarity did not differ across the lifespan. The results indicate that age differences in recognition memory are mainly due to differences in processes related to recollection while the contribution of familiarity-based processes seems to be age-invariant.

Extended frequency range hearing thresholds and otoacoustic emissions in acute acoustic trauma

We sought to evaluate the relative value of pure tone audiometry (PTA), extended high-frequency audiometry (EFA) and transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and distortion products when monitoring acute acoustic trauma (AAT).

Non-acute myocardial infarction-related causes of elevated high-sensitive troponin T in the emergency room: a cross-sectional analysis

To systematically investigate putative causes of non-coronary high-sensitive troponin elevations in patients presenting to a tertiary care emergency department. In this cross-sectional analysis, patients who received serial measurements of high-sensitive troponin T between 1 August 2010 and 31 October 2012 at the Department of Emergency Medicine were included. The following putative causes were considered to be associated with non-acute coronary syndrome-related increases in high-sensitive troponin T: acute pulmonary embolism, renal insufficiency, aortic dissection, heart failure, peri-/myocarditis, strenuous exercise, rhabdomyolysis, cardiotoxic chemotherapy, high-frequency ablation therapy, defibrillator shocks, cardiac infiltrative disorders (e.g., amyloidosis), chest trauma, sepsis, shock, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetic ketoacidosis. During the study period a total of 1,573 patients received serial measurements of high-sensitive troponin T. Of these, 175 patients were found to have acute coronary syndrome leaving 1,398 patients for inclusion in the study. In 222 (30 %) of patients, no putative cause described in the literature could be attributed to the elevation in high-sensitive troponin T observed. The most commonly encountered mechanism underlying the troponin T elevation was renal insufficiency that was present in 286 patients (57 %), followed by cerebral ischemia in 95 patients (19 %), trauma in 75 patients (15 %) and heart failure in 41 patients (8 %). Non-acute coronary syndrome-associated elevation of high-sensitive troponin T levels is commonly observed in the emergency department. Renal insufficiency and acute cerebral events are the most common conditions associated with high-sensitive troponin T elevation.

Evolution of dominance under frequency-dependent intraspecific competition

A population-genetic analysis is performed of a two-locus two-allele model, in which the primary locus has a major effect on a quantitative trait that is under frequency-dependent disruptive selection caused by intraspecific competition for a continuum of resources. The modifier locus determines the degree of dominance at the trait level. We establish the conditions when a modifier allele can invade and when it becomes fixed if sufficiently frequent. In general, these are not equivalent because an unstable internal equilibrium may exist and the condition for successful invasion of the modifier is more restrictive than that for eventual fixation from already high frequency. However, successful invasion implies global fixation, i.e., fixation from any initial condition. Modifiers of large effect can become fixed, and also invade, in a wider parameter range than modifiers of small effect. We also study modifiers with a direct, frequency-independent deleterious fitness effect. We show that they can invade if they induce a sufficiently high level of dominance and if disruptive selection on the ecological trait is strong enough. For deleterious modifiers, successful invasion no longer implies global fixation because they can become stuck at an intermediate frequency due to a stable internal equilibrium. Although the conditions for invasion and for fixation if sufficiently frequent are independent of the linkage relation between the two loci, the rate of spread depends strongly on it. The present study provides further support to the view that evolution of dominance may be an efficient mechanism to remove unfit heterozygotes that are maintained by balancing selection. It also demonstrates that an invasion analysis of mutants of very small effect is insufficient to obtain a full understanding of the evolutionary dynamics under frequency-dependent selection.

High-Spin Molecules: Synthesis, X-ray Characterization, and Magnetic Behavior of Two New Cyano-Bridged Ni II 9 Mo V 6 and Ni II 9 W V 6 Clusters with a S = 12 Ground State

The preparations, X-ray structures, and magnetic characterizations are presented for two new pentadecanuclear cluster compounds:  [NiII{NiII(MeOH)3}8(μ-CN)30{MV(CN)3}6]·xMeOH·yH2O (MV = MoV (1) with x = 17, y = 1; MV = WV (2) with x = 15, y = 0). Both compounds crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/c, with cell dimensions of a = 28.4957(18) Å, b = 19.2583(10) Å, c = 32.4279(17) Å, β = 113.155(6)°, and Z = 4 for 1 and a = 28.5278(16) Å, b = 19.2008(18) Å, c = 32.4072(17) Å, β = 113.727(6)°, and Z = 4 for 2. The structures of 1 and 2 consist of neutral cluster complexes comprising 15 metal ions, 9 NiII and 6 MV, all linked by μ-cyano ligands. Magnetic susceptibilities and magnetization measurements of compounds 1 and 2 in the crystalline and dissolved state indicate that these clusters have a S = 12 ground state, originating from intracluster ferromagnetic exchange interactions between the μ-cyano-bridged metal ions of the type NiII−NC−MV. Indeed, these data show clearly that the cluster molecules stay intact in solution. Ac magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that the cluster compounds exhibit magnetic susceptibility relaxation phenomena at low temperatures since, with nonzero dc fields, χ‘ ‘M has a nonzero value that is frequency dependent. However, there appears no out-of-phase (χ‘ ‘M) signal in zero dc field down to 1.8 K, which excludes the expected signature for a single molecule magnet. This finding is confirmed with the small uniaxial magnetic anisotropy value for D of 0.015 cm-1, deduced from the high-field, high-frequency EPR measurement, which distinctly reveals a positive sign in D. Obviously, the overall magnetic anisotropy of the compounds is too low, and this may be a consequence of a small single ion magnetic anisotropy combined with the highly symmetric arrangement of the metal ions in the cluster molecule.

Resistance to Temptation: The Interaction of External and Internal Control on Alcohol Use During Residential Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

Background: There is evidence that drinking during residential treatment is related to various factors, such as patients’ general control beliefs and self-efficacy, as well as to external control of alcohol use by program’s staff and situations where there is temptation to drink. As alcohol use during treatment has been shown to be associated with the resumption of alcohol use after discharge from residential treatment, we aimed to investigate how these variables are related to alcohol use during abstinenceoriented residential treatment programs for alcohol use disorders (AUD). Methods: In total, 509 patients who entered 1 of 2 residential abstinence-oriented treatment programs for AUD were included in the study. After detoxification, patients completed a standardized diagnostic procedure including interviews and questionnaires. Drinking was assessed by patients’ selfreport of at least 1 standard drink or by positive breathalyzer testing. The 2 residential programs were categorized as high or low control according to the average number of tests per patient. Results: Regression analysis revealed a significant interaction effect between internal and external control suggesting that patients with high internal locus of control and high frequency of control by staff demonstrated the least alcohol use during treatment (16.7%) while patients with low internal locus of control in programs with low external control were more likely to use alcohol during Treatment (45.9%). No effects were found for self-efficacy and temptation. Conclusions: As alcohol use during treatment is most likely associated with poor treatment outcomes, external control may improve treatment outcomes and particularly support patients with low internal locus of control, who show the highest risk for alcohol use during treatment. High external control may complement high internal control to improve alcohol use prevention while in treatment. Key Words: Alcohol Dependence, Alcohol Use, Locus of Control, Alcohol Testing.