Decades-long changes of the interstellar wind through our solar system

The journey of the Sun through the dynamically active local interstellar medium creates an evolving heliosphere environment. This motion drives a wind of interstellar material through the heliosphere that has been measured with Earth-orbiting and interplanetary spacecraft for 40 years. Recent results obtained by NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer mission during 2009-2010 suggest that neutral interstellar atoms flow into the solar system from a different direction than found previously. These prior measurements represent data collected from Ulysses and other spacecraft during 1992-2002 and a variety of older measurements acquired during 1972-1978. Consideration of all data types and their published results and uncertainties, over the three epochs of observations, indicates that the trend for the interstellar flow ecliptic longitude to increase linearly with time is statistically significant.

Cerebral blood flow and common carotid flow in neurologically asymptomatic carotid endarterectomy patients

To define subgroups in 50 neurologically asymptomatic patients with carotid stenosis (mean diam. of stenosis 81.1 +/- 12.5%) regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and common carotid artery flow were measured by means of the intravenous Xenon-133 technique and a Doppler flowmeter, respectively. The rCBF studies were performed both at rest and after administration of acetazolamide (Diamox). In this asymptomatic cohort of 50 patients we found subgroups with significant hemispheric baseline asymmetry (BA) (five patients; BA = 7.2 +/- 1.8%) and/or pathological Diamox asymmetry enhancement (DAE) (five patients; DAE = 8.8 +/- 1.3%). Carotid endarterectomy in these cases resulted in a significant reduction of hemispheric differences of rCBF (postoperative BA = 0.4 +/- 3.4, postoperative DAE = 1.7 +/- 3.8). Measurements of common carotid flow revealed significantly higher flow rates in the postoperative period and compensation of intercarotid flow asymmetry. In pathophysiologically defined preclinical subgroups of cerebrovascular disease with hemispheric rCBF differences and/or impairment of the cerebral vascular reserve capacity surgical procedures might be useful.

The effect of industrial handling on micronutrients

The growing proportion of processed foods in the average daily diet in industrialized countries is considered as a challenge to the food industry, not only to provide more variety to the food assortment, but also to cope with high nutritional quality standards. Industrial handling of food therefore includes the monitoring of numerous operations and conditions from the agricultural source, through processing, packaging and distribution. Various types of food raw materials are processed by different kinds of technological treatments, the main objectives being to guarantee wholesomeness, taste, nourishment and convenience. New processing methods combined with the cold chain distribution reduce micronutrient losses to a certain extent. We shall examine some of the critical technological operations with regard to losses of vitamins and minerals in representative examples of foods like milk, leafy vegetables, potatoes, etc. and compare the classical food preservation with more modern food handling. With the increasing demand of pre-prepared fresh, refrigerated or frozen foods, the contribution of the maintained micronutrients is of interest, especially with reference to modern eating habits, i.e. lowering the total food intake and improving the nutrient density in the normal diet plan.

[Transient global amnesia. With a contribution to its prognosis]

The risk of recurrency in transient global amnesia was calculated from eight representative studies published in the literature comprising a total of 622 patients, and from a personal survey in 122 patients to be 3.4%/year. Within a mean period of observation of five years, a first recurrency was followed by one further amnesic attack in 1/5 and by two or more attacks in 1/10. Stroke risk proved not to be higher than in a normal population of the respective age groups. A residual syndrome of disturbed long term verbal memory may be seen even after a single attack.

Chronic ocular ischaemia

The ocular changes due to chronic ischaemia are described in seven patients, aged between 59 and 77 years, with severe carotid artery disease. Doppler sonography was used to confirm the presence of high-grade arterial stenosis or occlusion in all the patients. The treatment of chronic ocular ischaemia is discussed, including the role of carotid bypass surgery, which is mentioned briefly. Three patients died of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease within 6 to 18 months of presentation.