Clinicopathologic correlates in the oldest-old: Commentary on "No disease in the brain of a 115-year-old woman".

den Dunnen et al. [den Dunnen, W.F.A., Brouwer, W.H., Bijlard, E., Kamphuis, J., van Linschoten, K., Eggens-Meijer, E., Holstege, G., 2008. No disease in the brain of a 115-year-old woman. Neurobiol. Aging] had the opportunity to follow up the cognitive functioning of one of the world's oldest woman during the last 3 years of her life. They performed two neuropsychological evaluations at age 112 and 115 that revealed a striking preservation of immediate recall abilities and orientation. In contrast, working memory, retrieval from semantic memory and mental arithmetic performances declined after age 112. Overall, only a one-point decrease of MMSE score occurred (from 27 to 26) reflecting the remarkable preservation of cognitive abilities. The neuropathological assessment showed few neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in the hippocampal formation compatible with Braak staging II, absence of amyloid deposits and other types of neurodegenerative lesions as well as preservation of neuron numbers in locus coeruleus. This finding was related to a striking paucity of Alzheimer disease (AD)-related lesions in the hippocampal formation. The present report parallels the early descriptions of rare "supernormal" centenarians supporting the dissociation between brain aging and AD processes. In conjunction with recent stereological analyses in cases aged from 90 to 102 years, it also points to the marked resistance of the hippocampal formation to the degenerative process in this age group and possible dissociation between the occurrence of slight cognitive deficits and development of AD-related pathologic changes in neocortical areas. This work is discussed in the context of current efforts to identify the biological and genetic parameters of human longevity.

Interhemispheric distribution of Alzheimer disease and vascular pathology in brain aging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Most of the neuropathological studies in brain aging were based on the assumption of a symmetrical right-left hemisphere distribution of both Alzheimer disease and vascular pathology. To explore the impact of asymmetrical lesion formation on cognition, we performed a clinicopathological analysis of 153 cases with mixed pathology except macroinfarcts. METHODS: Cognitive status was assessed prospectively using the Clinical Dementia Rating scale; neuropathological evaluation included assessment of Braak neurofibrillary tangle and Ass deposition staging, microvascular pathology, and lacunes. The right-left hemisphere differences in neuropathological scores were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The relationship between the interhemispheric distribution of lesions and Clinical Dementia Rating scores was assessed using ordered logistic regression. RESULTS: Unlike Braak neurofibrillary tangle and Ass deposition staging, vascular scores were significantly higher in the left hemisphere for all Clinical Dementia Rating scores. A negative relationship was found between Braak neurofibrillary tangle, but not Ass staging, and vascular scores in cases with moderate to severe dementia. In both hemispheres, Braak neurofibrillary tangle staging was the main determinant of cognitive decline followed by vascular scores and Ass deposition staging. The concomitant predominance of Alzheimer disease and vascular pathology in the right hemisphere was associated with significantly higher Clinical Dementia Rating scores. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that the cognitive impact of Alzheimer disease and vascular lesions in mixed cases may be assessed unilaterally without major information loss. However, interhemispheric differences and, in particular, increased vascular and Alzheimer disease burden in the right hemisphere may increase the risk for dementia in this group.

ALBUM AMICORUM de Jean Durand (1583-1592). In-8 de 2 f. lim. et 380 p., mar. r., comp. de mos. de mar. v., riche dorure à petits fers, tr. dor. et ciselée. (Rel. du XVIe siècle.)

Durand (Jean). Album amicorum (1583-1592)

ALBUM AMICORUM de Daniel Rindfleisch de Memmingen (1590-1591). In-8 de 15 f. interfoliés de papier blanc. — KNIGHTS made by K. Charles 2d, alphabetically digested. In-8 de 4 f. — Ensemble 2 parties en un vol. in-8, mar. viol. jans. (Hans Asper.)

Rindfleisch (Daniel). Album amicorum (1590-1591)

Biohöfe als Ausgangspunkte informeller Lernprozesse

Die Arbeit befasst sich mit der Frage nach dem Einfluss von Biohöfen auf die Menschen, die in ihrem Umfeld leben. Sie bietet Einblicke in die Zusammenhänge, in denen Nachbarn, Kollegen, Freunde oder Kunden einen Biohof gezielt oder eher zufällig nutzen, um hier informell Erfahrungen zu sammeln, die zu nachhaltigen Lebennstilen und Wirtschaftsweisen beitragen können. Im Rahmen von sechs Fallstudien wurden hierfür ökologisch wirtschaftende Landwirtschaftsbetriebe in Brandenburg im Hinblick auf die informelle Vermittlung von Wissen und Erfahrungen qualitativ untersucht. Mit Hilfe der Grounded Theory wird die Entstehung von informellen Lernprozessen im sozialen Umfeld der Höfe rekonstruiert. Neben dem empirischen Ausgangsmaterial erwiesen sich die handlungstheoretischen Konstrukte Lebenswelt, Habitus, Lebensstil und Lebensführung als hilfreicher Interpretationshintergrund. Mit diesen theoretischen Ansätzen werden die soziokulturellen Einflussfaktoren für Erfahren, Lernen und Vermitteln betont. Informelles Lernen wird so als ein sozial eingebetteter Prozess verstanden. Aus dieser, weniger subjektorientierten Perspektive treten dann Faktoren wie z.B. die Atmosphäre der Beziehung zwischen einer Person und dem Biohof, die sinnliche Wahrnehmung und die Art der Kommunikation in das Blickfeld der Analyse. In der Untersuchung wird eine Vielzahl von Verhaltensänderungen, Denkanstößen und Anregungen benannt, die im Zusammenhang mit den untersuchten Biohöfen geschildert wurden und die im Hinblick auf eine nachhaltige Entwicklung als förderlich eingeschätzt werden. Sie basieren, so der Ansatz der Arbeit, auf informellen Lernprozessen. Das zentrale Ergebnis der Fallanalysen ist eine strukturierte Zusammenstellung der im Untersuchungskontext relevanten Einflussfaktoren für erfolgreiches informelles Lernen. Als wesentliche erscheinen hierbei insbesondere zwei Variablen: zum einen hat sich das „wohlwollende Interesse“ als förderlich für das Zustandekommen und den Verlauf von informellen Lernprozessen herausgestellt. Mit diesem Begriff wird eine Einstellung dem Biohof gegenüber beschrieben, die ein Wohlgesonnensein, das Vertrauen und die Neugierde am Hof beinhaltet. Zum anderen scheint die „Erlebbarkeit“ der Angebote zur Wissensvermittlung für das informelle, habitus- und lebensstilbezogene Lernen bedeutsam zu sein. Ergänzend zu dem auf die lernenden Subjekte gerichteten Fokus wurden in der Forschungsarbeit auch Beweggründe der Betriebsleiter, für die jeweils praktizierte Wissens- und Erfahrungsvermittlung herausgearbeitet. Die Betrachtung wird durch die Zusammenstellung von Schwierigkeiten und Hindernissen abgerundet, die dem informellen Lernen vom Biohof entgegen stehen können. Ausgehend von den fallbezogenen Ergebnissen liefert die Arbeit damit eine Grundlage, um über die Bedeutung von Lernfeldern, die durch Biolandwirte, aber auch andere Akteursgruppen bereit gestellt werden, nachzudenken und um ihre gesellschaftliche Relevanz zu diskutieren.

An introduction to bilingualism.

Durante la última década se han logrado importantes avances en nuestra comprensión del bilingüismo. En este libro se ofrece una revisión exhaustiva de sus aspectos más importantes, desde el punto de vista individual y social, para ello se examinan cuestiones teóricas y prácticas. Esta obra puede ser valiosa para estudiantes de lingüística, psicolingüística y sociolingüística, pero también para profesores, padres, trabajadores sociales y todos aquellos que, sin conocimiento previo del tema, están en contacto con niños y adultos bilingües.

Analytical potentials for triatomic molecules from spectroscopic data V. Application to HOX (X=F, Cl, Br, I)

Analytical potential energy functions are reported for HOX (X=F, Cl, Br, I). The surface for HOF predicts two metastable minima as well as the equilibrium configuration. These correspond to HFO (bent) and OHF (linear). Ab initio calculations performed for the HOF surface confirm these predictions. Comparisons are drawn between the two sets of results, and a vibrational analysis is undertaken for the hydrogen bonded OHF species. For HOCl, one further minimum is predicted, corresponding to HClO (bent), the parameters for which compare favourably with those reported from ab initio studies. In contrast, only the equilibrium configurations are predicted to be stable for HOBr and HOI.

Analytical potentials for triatomic molecules from spectroscopic data VI. On choosing internal coordinates to describe triatomic potential energy surfaces with more than one minimum

Orthogonal internal coordinates are defined which have useful properties for constructing the potential energy functions of triatomic molecules with two or three minima on the surface. The coordinates are used to obtain ground state potentials of ClOO and HOF, both of which have three minima.

The infrared spectrum of the ν2 and ν3 bands of H16OF, H18OF, and D16OF

Fourier transform IR spectra in the ν2 and ν3 regions between 800 and 1500 cm−1 have been measured of H16OF with a resolution of 0.007 cm−1 and of H18OF and DOF with a resolution of 0.040 cm−1. Ground state constants have been improved for H16OF and have been obtained for the first time for H18OF. Parameters of the v2 = 1 and v3 = 1 excited states have been determined from rovibrational analyses of ca. 1000 ν2/ν3 lines which were fitted with σ 0.36, 4.5, and 7.6 × 10−3 cm−1 for H16OF, H18OF, and D16OF, respectively. Band centers of ν2/ν3 are 1353.40466(5)/889.07974(6), 1350.3976(5)/862.2967(7), and 1002.0083(9)/891.0014(15) cm−1, respectively, for the three isotopic species. While ν2 and ν3 are sufficiently separated in HOF to be treated independently, a Coriolis resonance is evident in DOF, the interaction constant ξ23c = 0.19073(16) cm−1 being in agreement with the prediction from the harmonic force field.

Scenarios as the basis for assessment of mitigation and adaptation

The possibilities and need for adaptation and mitigation depends on uncertain future developments with respect to socio-economic factors and the climate system. Scenarios are used to explore the impacts of different strategies under uncertainty. In this chapter, some scenarios are presented that are used in the ADAM project for this purpose. One scenario explores developments with no mitigation, and thus with high temperature increase and high reliance on adaptation (leading to 4oC increase by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels). A second scenario explores an ambitious mitigation strategy (leading to 2oC increase by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels). In the latter scenario, stringent mitigation strategies effectively reduces the risks of climate change, but based on uncertainties in the climate system a temperature increase of 3oC or more cannot be excluded. The analysis shows that, in many cases, adaptation and mitigation are not trade-offs but supplements. For example, the number of people exposed to increased water resource stress due to climate change can be substantially reduced in the mitigation scenario, but even then adaptation will be required for the remaining large numbers of people exposed to increased stress. Another example is sea level rise, for which adaptation is more cost-effective than mitigation, but mitigation can help reduce damages and the cost of adaptation. For agriculture, finally, only the scenario based on a combination of adaptation and mitigation is able to avoid serious climate change impacts.

The use of scenarios as the basis for combined assessment of climate change mitigation and adaptation

Scenarios are used to explore the consequences of different adaptation and mitigation strategies under uncertainty. In this paper, two scenarios are used to explore developments with (1) no mitigation leading to an increase of global mean temperature of 4 °C by 2100 and (2) an ambitious mitigation strategy leading to 2 °C increase by 2100. For the second scenario, uncertainties in the climate system imply that a global mean temperature increase of 3 °C or more cannot be ruled out. Our analysis shows that, in many cases, adaptation and mitigation are not trade-offs but supplements. For example, the number of people exposed to increased water resource stress due to climate change can be substantially reduced in the mitigation scenario, but adaptation will still be required for the remaining large numbers of people exposed to increased stress. Another example is sea level rise, for which, from a global and purely monetary perspective, adaptation (up to 2100) seems more effective than mitigation. From the perspective of poorer and small island countries, however, stringent mitigation is necessary to keep risks at manageable levels. For agriculture, only a scenario based on a combination of adaptation and mitigation is able to avoid serious climate change impacts.

CMS physics technical design report, volume II: Physics performance

CMS is a general purpose experiment, designed to study the physics of pp collisions at 14 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider ( LHC). It currently involves more than 2000 physicists from more than 150 institutes and 37 countries. The LHC will provide extraordinary opportunities for particle physics based on its unprecedented collision energy and luminosity when it begins operation in 2007. The principal aim of this report is to present the strategy of CMS to explore the rich physics programme offered by the LHC. This volume demonstrates the physics capability of the CMS experiment. The prime goals of CMS are to explore physics at the TeV scale and to study the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking - through the discovery of the Higgs particle or otherwise. To carry out this task, CMS must be prepared to search for new particles, such as the Higgs boson or supersymmetric partners of the Standard Model particles, from the start- up of the LHC since new physics at the TeV scale may manifest itself with modest data samples of the order of a few fb(-1) or less. The analysis tools that have been developed are applied to study in great detail and with all the methodology of performing an analysis on CMS data specific benchmark processes upon which to gauge the performance of CMS. These processes cover several Higgs boson decay channels, the production and decay of new particles such as Z' and supersymmetric particles, B-s production and processes in heavy ion collisions. The simulation of these benchmark processes includes subtle effects such as possible detector miscalibration and misalignment. Besides these benchmark processes, the physics reach of CMS is studied for a large number of signatures arising in the Standard Model and also in theories beyond the Standard Model for integrated luminosities ranging from 1 fb(-1) to 30 fb(-1). The Standard Model processes include QCD, B-physics, diffraction, detailed studies of the top quark properties, and electroweak physics topics such as the W and Z(0) boson properties. The production and decay of the Higgs particle is studied for many observable decays, and the precision with which the Higgs boson properties can be derived is determined. About ten different supersymmetry benchmark points are analysed using full simulation. The CMS discovery reach is evaluated in the SUSY parameter space covering a large variety of decay signatures. Furthermore, the discovery reach for a plethora of alternative models for new physics is explored, notably extra dimensions, new vector boson high mass states, little Higgs models, technicolour and others. Methods to discriminate between models have been investigated. This report is organized as follows. Chapter 1, the Introduction, describes the context of this document. Chapters 2-6 describe examples of full analyses, with photons, electrons, muons, jets, missing E-T, B-mesons and tau's, and for quarkonia in heavy ion collisions. Chapters 7-15 describe the physics reach for Standard Model processes, Higgs discovery and searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model.

First measurement of hadronic event shapes in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)