Resolving ultrafast heating of dense cryogenic hydrogen

We report on the dynamics of ultrafast heating in cryogenic hydrogen initiated by a ≲300  fs, 92 eV free electron laser x-ray burst. The rise of the x-ray scattering amplitude from a second x-ray pulse probes the transition from dense cryogenic molecular hydrogen to a nearly uncorrelated plasmalike structure, indicating an electron-ion equilibration time of ∼0.9  ps. The rise time agrees with radiation hydrodynamics simulations based on a conductivity model for partially ionized plasma that is validated by two-temperature density-functional theory.

Brain connectivity and gyrification as endophenotypes for schizophrenia: weight of the evidence

The tremendous heterogeneity in the clinical symptoms and cognitive/emotional deficits seen in patients with schizophrenia has made it challenging to determine the underlying pathogenesis of the illness. One leading hypothesis that has come to the forefront over the past several decades is that schizophrenia is caused by aberrant connectivity between brain regions. In fact, a new field of connectomics has emerged to study the effects of brain connectivity in health and illness. It is known that schizophrenia is highly heritable, although in the search for the underlying genetic factors we have only scratched the tips of the omics icebergs. One technique to help identify underlying genetic factors is the use of heritable intermediate phenotypes, or endophenotypes. Endophenotypes provide mechanisms to study the genetic underpinnings of the disorder by focusing on measureable traits that are more proximal to gene regulation and expression than are symptoms. Thus, the goal of this paper is to conduct a critical review of the evidence linking both structural and functional connectivity as an endophenotype for schizophrenia.

Factors influencing older black women's sexual functioning and their disclosure of sexual concerns

INTRODUCTION

The study of older women's sexual health has been very limited. Most of the available research in this area is on Caucasian older women; a few studies have targeted the sexuality of older Black women. There could be several reasons for this and for the common reluctance of these women to disclose information on their sexual health. The aim of this review was to discuss factors influencing older black women's sexual functioning and their disclosure of sexual concerns.

DISCUSSION

In this article, we first briefly reviewed the literature on sexual health among older women, then covered historical and social issues that are likely to influence older Black women's sexuality as well as their common reluctance to disclose intimate details of their lives to their health providers. This information could be important for researchers as well as healthcare professionals. Specific groups of clinicians potentially interested in this discussion are sexual health professionals, couples' counsellors as well as other professionals attempting to address older patients' problems such as relationship, intimacy and sex challenges. Without knowledge of critical issues such as the potentially traumatizing historical events and the multiple societal pressures that are likely to impact these women's sexuality and disclosure of sexual concerns, it would be difficult for researchers and clinicians to get an accurate account of older Black women's sexual needs.

CONCLUSION

Older Black women's sexuality is a very delicate and complex topic. We encourage interested professionals to make an effort to become more aware of what is potentially holding back older Black women from disclosing their sexual concerns to them, and have provided some historical information and research suggestions to guide professionals interested in investigating older African American women's sexuality in a more tactful and culturally-sensitive way.

P-selectin-dependent adhesion of human cancer-cells - requirement for coexpression of a psgl-1-like core protein and the glycosylation process for sialosyl-le(x) or sialosyl-le(a)

We studied the cell surface expression of sialosyl-Le(x) (SLe(x)) and sialosyl-Le(a) (SLe(a)) and its correlation with E-selectin- and P-selectin-dependent cell adhesion, employing 12 human cancer cell lines derived from solid tumors and 2 myelogenic leukemic cell lines, HL60 and U937. Among all the cell lines tested, there was a clear correlation between E-selectin-dependent adhesion and degree of SLe(x) and SLe(a) expression. None of the cell lines derived from solid tumors bound significantly to P-selectin, but leukemic cell lines HL60 and U937 bound strongly to P-selectin. The cDNA clone encoding P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) was transfected into colonic cancer HRT18 and lung cancer PC3 cells, which express SLe(x) and SLe(a) but normally do not bind to P-selectin, although they do bind to E-selectin. The resulting transfectants bound strongly to P-selectin and equally well to E-selectin. A crude mucin fraction extracted from pooled human colonic cancer tissue bound to E-selectin but not to P-selectin. We conclude that tumor cell adhesion to P-selectin is highly dependent on expression of a specific core protein which appropriately assembles a specific carbohydrate to present to P-selectin. In contrast, E-selectin binds promiscuously to various types of SLe(x) and SLe(a) epitopes presented at the cell surface through N-linked, O-linked, or lipid-linked structures.

Concurrent use of indacaterol plus tiotropium in patients with COPD provides superior bronchodilation compared with tiotropium alone: a randomised, double-blind comparison

BACKGROUND

Current guidelines recommend treatment with one or more long-acting bronchodilators for patients with moderate or more severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The authors investigated the approach of dual bronchodilation using indacaterol, a once-daily long-acting β(2) agonist, and the long-acting muscarinic antagonist tiotropium, compared with tiotropium alone.

METHODS

In two identically designed, double-blind, 12-week studies, patients with moderate to severe COPD were randomised to indacaterol 150 μg once daily or matching placebo. All patients concurrently received open-label tiotropium 18 μg once daily. The primary outcome was standardised area under the curve of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) from 5 min to 8 h post dose at week 12. The key secondary outcome was 24 h post-dose ('trough') FEV(1) at week 12. Resting inspiratory capacity (IC) was measured in a subgroup.

RESULTS

1134 and 1142 patients were randomised in studies 1 and 2; 94% and 94% completed. Compared with monotherapy, concurrent therapy increased FEV(1) (area under the curve by 130 and 120 ml, trough by 80 and 70 ml; all p<0.001) and trough IC (by 130 and 100 ml, p<0.01). Cough was more common with indacaterol plus tiotropium (10% and 9%) than with tiotropium alone (4% and 4%). Most cases (∼90%) of cough were mild. Other adverse events were similar for the treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with tiotropium monotherapy, indacaterol plus tiotropium provided greater bronchodilation and lung deflation (reflected by increased resting IC). Adverse events were similar between treatments apart from mild cough being more common with indacaterol plus tiotropium. These results support COPD guideline recommendations to combine bronchodilators with different mechanisms of action.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS

NCT00846586 and NCT00877383.

Striatal function in relation to negative symptoms in schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have suggested that motivational aspects of executive functioning, which may be disrupted in schizophrenia patients with negative symptoms, are mediated in part by the striatum. Negative symptoms have been linked to impaired recruitment of both the striatum and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Here we tested the hypothesis that negative symptoms are associated primarily with striatal dysfunction, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

METHOD

Working-memory load-dependent activation and gray matter volumes of the striatum and DLPFC were measured using a region-of-interest (ROI) approach, in 147 schizophrenia patients and 160 healthy controls. In addition to testing for a linear relationships between striatal function and negative symptoms, we chose a second, categorical analytic strategy in which we compared three demographically and behaviorally matched subgroups: patients with a high burden of negative symptoms, patients with minimal negative symptoms, and healthy subjects.

RESULTS

There were no differences in striatal response magnitudes between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls, but right DLPFC activity was higher in patients than in controls. Negative symptoms were inversely associated with striatal, but not DLPFC, activity. In addition, patients with a high burden of negative symptoms exhibited significantly lower bilateral striatal, but not DLPFC, activation than schizophrenia patients with minimal negative symptoms. Working memory performance, antipsychotic exposure and changes in gray matter volumes did not account for these differences.

CONCLUSIONS

These data provide further evidence for a robust association between negative symptoms and diminished striatal activity. Future work will determine whether low striatal activity in schizophrenia patients could serve as a reliable biomarker for negative symptoms.

Antipsychotic dose and diminished neural modulation: a multi-site fMRI study

BACKGROUND

The effect of antipsychotics on the blood oxygen level dependent signal in schizophrenia is poorly understood. The purpose of the present investigation is to examine the effect of antipsychotic medication on independent neural networks during a motor task in a large, multi-site functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation.

METHODS

Seventy-nine medicated patients with schizophrenia and 114 comparison subjects from the Mind Clinical Imaging Consortium database completed a paced, auditory motor task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Independent component analysis identified temporally cohesive but spatially distributed neural networks. The independent component analysis time course was regressed with a model time course of the experimental design. The resulting beta weights were evaluated for group comparisons and correlations with chlorpromazine equivalents.

RESULTS

Group differences between patients and comparison subjects were evident in the cortical and subcortical motor networks, default mode networks, and attentional networks. The chlorpromazine equivalents correlated with the unimotor/bitemporal (rho=-0.32, P=0.0039), motor/caudate (rho=-0.22, P=0.046), posterior default mode (rho=0.26, P=0.020), and anterior default mode networks (rho=0.24, P=0.03). Patients on typical antipsychotics also had less positive modulation of the motor/caudate network relative to patients on atypical antipsychotics (t(77)=2.01, P=0.048).

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that antipsychotic dose diminishes neural activation in motor (cortical and subcortical) and default mode networks in patients with schizophrenia. The higher potency, typical antipsychotics also diminish positive modulation in subcortical motor networks. Antipsychotics may be a potential confound limiting interpretation of fMRI studies on the disease process in medicated patients with schizophrenia.