Affective and cognitive Theory of Mind in patients with alcohol use disorder: Associations with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatization

INTRODUCTION

Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to ascribe thoughts (cognitive ToM) and feelings (affective ToM) to others. Ample evidence exists for impairments of affective and cognitive ToM in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD); however, evidence regarding changes of these impairments during AUD treatment and their possible relationship to comorbid symptoms is ambiguous. The current study analyzed changes in ToM during treatment and tested associations with comorbid symptoms of depression, anxiety, somatization, and social functioning.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 175 individuals with AUD. The study assessed ToM and comorbid symptoms of depression, anxiety, somatization, and social functioning at the time of admission and at the time of discharge from an approximately 60 days long abstinence-oriented inpatient treatment. We assessed affective and cognitive ToM using the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition, a measure with high ecological validity.

RESULTS

All symptoms, total and cognitive ToM improved following treatment; however, affective ToM did not improve. Moreover, cognitive ToM at the beginning of treatment was associated with improved symptoms of depression and somatization, while affective ToM was not.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows improvements in total and cognitive ToM as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, somatization, and social functioning following long-term treatment. Furthermore, cognitive ToM was related to improvements in comorbid symptoms. This finding suggests that ToM may be an important treatment target in patients with AUD.

Psychopathology and Theory of Mind in patients with personality disorders

OBJECTIVE

People with mental disorders frequently suffer from deficits in the ability to infer other's mental states (Theory of Mind; ToM). Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) show ToM deficits characterized by exceeding ToM (over-attributions of mental states). The present study analyzed associations between ToM, BPD severity, and depression severity in patients with BPD and other personality disorders.

METHOD

We analyzed ToM abilities in 128 patients with BPD and 82 patients with 'mixed and other personality disorders' (MOPD). MOPD are diagnosed if symptoms of multiple personality disorders are present without any set of symptoms being dominant enough to allow a specific diagnosis. We used the movies for the assessment of social cognition (MASC) to measure ToM abilities, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess severity of depression and the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD) to assess the severity of BPD symptoms.

RESULTS

Both symptoms of BPD and depression were associated with exceeding ToM in separate regressions. Using a stepwise regression, only the association of depression severity with exceeding ToM was reliable. Patients with BPD and MOPD did not differ in exceeding ToM. Age was most reliably associated with ToM.

CONCLUSION

The results imply that exceeding ToM is associated with general psychopathology instead of BPD-symptoms in specific. Patients with MOPD show deficits similar to BPD patients.

Mapping the 3D position of battery cathode particles in Bragg coherent diffractive imaging

In Bragg coherent diffractive imaging, the precise location of the measured crystals in the interior of the sample is usually missing. Obtaining this information would help the study of the spatially dependent behavior of particles in the bulk of inhomogeneous samples, such as extra-thick battery cathodes. This work presents an approach to determine the 3D position of particles by precisely aligning them at the instrument axis of rotation. In the test experiment reported here, with a 60 µm-thick LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ battery cathode, the particles were located with a precision of 20 µm in the out-of-plane direction, and the in-plane coordinates were determined with a precision of 1 µm.

Gelation Dynamics upon Pressure-Induced Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in a Water-Lysozyme Solution

Employing X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, we measure the kinetics and dynamics of a pressure-induced liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in a water-lysozyme solution. Scattering invariants and kinetic information provide evidence that the system reaches the phase boundary upon pressure-induced LLPS with no sign of arrest. The coarsening slows down with increasing quench depths. The g₂ functions display a two-step decay with a gradually increasing nonergodicity parameter typical for gelation. We observe fast superdiffusive (γ ≥ 3/2) and slow subdiffusive (γ < 0.6) motion associated with fast viscoelastic fluctuations of the network and a slow viscous coarsening process, respectively. The dynamics age linearly with time τ ∝ t_w, and we observe the onset of viscoelastic relaxation for deeper quenches. Our results suggest that the protein solution gels upon reaching the phase boundary.

How Individual and Situational Factors Influence Measures of Affective and Cognitive Theory of Mind in Psychiatric Inpatients

Mental disorders are associated with difficulties to correctly infer the mental states of other’s (theory of mind; ToM). These inferences either relate to affective states of others (affective ToM) or to their thoughts, intentions, or beliefs (cognitive ToM) and can be associated with mental disorder. The current study explores the influence of individual and situational effects on the measurement of ToM abilities within two clinical samples, to increase generalizability. We analyzed data from 229 in-patients; 103 patients treated for alcohol use disorder and 126 patients treated for a personality disorder. ToM was assessed with the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC). We analyzed changes in test performance over the course of the test using a logistic linear mixed effects model. Performance on the cognitive ToM items decreased over time, while performance on the affective ToM items increased over time. This difference was more pronounced among older individuals. The results show important moderators of ToM performance that might help to resolve inconsistencies in the current literature about ToM abilities in different clinical or age groups.

Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients With Mental or Physical Diseases

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) and the consequences of the pandemic on individuals’ social, economic, and public lives are assumed to have major implications for the mental health of the general population but also for patients already diagnosed with psychological disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with psychological disorders or physical health conditions in inpatient mental and physical treatment programs. A total 2710 patients completed COVID-19 related questions concerning their psychological distress and financial burden during the pandemic. Patients with psychological disorders reported the highest level of psychological distress and financial burden compared to patients with physical health conditions. Furthermore, most patients with psychological disorders attributed their individual psychological distress to the COVID-19 pandemic. In comparison to patients with physical health conditions, patients with psychological disorders are more strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and have an additional need for psychological/psychotherapeutic treatment due to the COVID-19 crisis. The findings stress the importance of continuous psychosocial support and availability of psychosocial support services for patients with psychological disorders during the pandemic.

Gender effects on outcomes of psychosomatic rehabilitation are reduced

OBJECTIVE

The study examined whether psychiatric/psychosomatic rehabilitation continues to have a better course of treatment for women than men.

METHODS

We compared the course of global symptom severity, health-related quality of life and functioning between admission and discharge in patients (848 men, 1412 women) at an Austrian psychiatric/psychosomatic rehabilitation clinic.

RESULTS

Gender-specific differences in the course of treatment were all too small to be clinically relevant. The differences were smallest in the middle-aged cohort. However, at the time of admission, women reported a slightly higher symptom burden.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the results show a gender-fair effectiveness of the rehabilitation. The new findings could be explained by changes in living conditions, gender roles, or better treatment methods.

Microscopic pathways for stress relaxation in repulsive colloidal glasses

Residual stresses are well-known companions of all glassy materials. They affect and, in many cases, even strongly modify important material properties like the mechanical response and the optical transparency. The mechanisms through which stresses affect such properties are, in many cases, still under study, and their full understanding can pave the way to a full exploitation of stress as a primary control parameter. It is, for example, known that stresses promote particle mobility at small length scales, e.g., in colloidal glasses, gels, and metallic glasses, but this connection still remains essentially qualitative. Exploiting a preparation protocol that leads to colloidal glasses with an exceptionally directional built-in stress field, we characterize the stress-induced dynamics and show that it can be visualized as a collection of "flickering," mobile regions with linear sizes of the order of ≈20 particle diameters (≈2 μm here) that move cooperatively, displaying an overall stationary but locally ballistic dynamics.

Psychopharmacological treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder: comparing data from routine clinical care with recommended guidelines

Objectives: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a life-threatening mental disorder. Guideline recommendations for pharmacological treatment of patients with BPD vary widely. The objective of the present study was to investigate pharmacotherapy of BPD patients in a routine clinical care setting. Methods: Data on the pharmacological treatment of 110 patients (90% female) with BPD (F- 60.3), treated in an inpatient psychiatric-psychosomatic clinic in Austria were assessed. Results: Results show that clinicians frequently prescribe psychotropic medications to patients with BPD, in many cases multiple medications. The most commonly prescribed substance groups were antipsychotics, mood stabilisers and antidepressants. The most commonly prescribed individual drugs were Quetiapine, Lamotrigine and Setraline. There was no significant difference in the different types or overall number of medications prescribed to BPD patients with vs. without comorbid diagnoses. Pharmacotherapy was not related to comorbidity. Conclusions: The present study shows that in routine clinical care settings psychotropic medications are frequently prescribed to patients with BPD, very often resulting in polypharmacy. A positive association between the number of medications and the effectiveness of the inpatient treatment program, as well as the absence of a relationship between number of medications and comorbidity contradicts the often suggested iatrogenic effect of polypharmacy. Key points Guidelines for pharmacotherapy of borderline personality disorders lack consensus Yet, clinicians frequently prescribe psychotropic medications to BPD patients Types/number of medications prescribed to patients with vs. without comorbidities are similar Larger treatment effects are observed for patients with greater numbers of medications Further knowledge is needed about how and why clinicians prescribe medications.

Spatial and temporal pre-alignment of an X-ray split-and-delay unit by laser light interferometry

We present a novel experimental setup for performing a precise pre-alignment of a hard X-ray split-and-delay unit based on low coherence light interferometry and high-precision penta-prisms. A split-and-delay unit is a sophisticated perfect crystal-optics device that splits an incoming X-ray pulse into two sub-pulses and generates a controlled time-delay between them. While the availability of a split-and-delay system will make ultrafast time-correlation and X-ray pump-probe experiments possible at free-electron lasers, its alignment process can be very tedious and time-consuming due to its complex construction. By implementing our experimental setup at beamline P10 of PETRA III, we were able to reduce the time of alignment to less than 3 h. We also propose an alternate method for finding the zero-time delay crossing without the use of X-rays or pulsed laser sources. The successful demonstration of this method brings prospect for operating the split-and-delay systems under alignment-time-critical environments such as X-ray free electron laser facilities.

[Meta-analysis of evaluation results of psychiatric-psychosomatic rehabilitation in Austria]

OBJECTIVE

Since previous meta-analyses of psychiatric-psychosomatic rehabilitation only rarely included studies from Austrian rehabilitation clinics a systematic review with meta-analysis of previously available evaluation results from Austrian rehabilitation clinics should be conducted.

METHODS

A systematic literature search in several data bases (Psyndex, PsycInfo, MEDLINE, Pubmed) and additional manual search was conducted. Evaluation results from the most commonly used assessment instruments (SCL-90/BSI, BDI, WHOQOL-BREF, GAF) were extracted from the studies included and subsequently a meta-analysis was calculated with the extracted data (pre-post comparison).

RESULTS

12 publications with 9 studies from 6 different Austrian rehabilitation clinics could be included in the meta-analysis, with a total of 9329 patients. Results show a significant improvement from pre- to post assessment in the medium effect size range, with a Hedges' g of 0.53 (95%-confidence interval [0.45;0.60]) for improvement in global symptom severity, a Hedges' g of 0.59 (95%-confidence interval [0.54;0.63]) for improvement in subjective quality of life and a Hedges' g of 1.00 (95%-confidence interval [0.83;1.18]) for improvement in global functioning. The effects are robust and there is no evidence for distortion or publication bias.

CONCLUSIONS

On average medium effect sizes have been previously achieved with psychiatric-psychosomatic rehabilitation in Austrian rehabilitation clinics. This is comparable with the previous results of rehabilitation clinics in Germany. However, since only one controlled study is available thus far it can not be ruled out that the effects in comparison to no rehabilitation might turn out smaller. Thus, in the future increasingly controlled studies should be conducted and the quality of conducted studies should be improved.

Correlative microscopy approach for biology using X-ray holography, X-ray scanning diffraction and STED microscopy

We present a correlative microscopy approach for biology based on holographic X-ray imaging, X-ray scanning diffraction, and stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy. All modalities are combined into the same synchrotron endstation. In this way, labeled and unlabeled structures in cells are visualized in a complementary manner. We map out the fluorescently labeled actin cytoskeleton in heart tissue cells and superimpose the data with phase maps from X-ray holography. Furthermore, an array of local far-field diffraction patterns is recorded in the regime of small-angle X-ray scattering (scanning SAXS), which can be interpreted in terms of biomolecular shape and spatial correlations of all contributing scattering constituents. We find that principal directions of anisotropic diffraction patterns coincide to a certain degree with the actin fiber directions and that actin stands out in the phase maps from holographic recordings. In situ STED recordings are proposed to formulate models for diffraction data based on co-localization constraints.

[Relevance of type of diagnosis and occupational status for the results of psychiatric rehabilitation]

OBJECTIVE

The specific effectiveness of psychiatric rehabilitation has been confirmed in numerous studies. Of particular interest is to what extend different results can be observed regarding the occupational status and type of mental illness of patients. Unemployment at the start of treatment is generally deemed to be a disadvantage for treatment outcome. Weaker treatment effects have also been reported for some types of mental illnesses, such as pain- und somatoform disorders.

METHODS

Results from the evaluation of a sample of 2260 patients form the psychiatric rehabilitation clinic Gars am Kamp were analyzed, with regard to the occupational status and type of mental illness of patients. Changes in general symptom severity, quality of life and functioning were assessed.

RESULTS

Regarding the occupational status, overall unemployed patients suffered from higher degrees of global symptom severity and the lower levels of global quality of life compared to employed and retired patients. However, improvements in the course of rehabilitative treatment could be observed regardless of the occupational status of patients. Regarding the type of mental illness, overall patients with burnout (Z73.0) reported the lowest levels of global symptom severity and highest degree of global quality of life. In comparison patients with somatoform disorders (F45) showed the lowest degree of global quality of life. However, positive treatment effects regarding general symptom severity and health related quality of life could be observed regardless of the type of mental illness (diagnosis) of patients. In respect to the improvement of global functioning small differences in absolute treatment effects were detected depending on the type of diagnosis of patients. However, relative treatment effects in respect to global functioning were comparable for all types of diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Improvements in the course of rehabilitative treatment regarding general symptom severity, quality of life and global functioning can be obtained independent of occupational status and type of mental illness of patients.

Structural studies of the bond-orientational order and hexatic-smectic transition in liquid crystals of various compositions

We report on the X-ray studies of freely suspended hexatic films of three different liquid crystal compounds. By applying angular X-ray cross-correlation analysis (XCCA) to the measured diffraction patterns the parameters of the bond-orientational (BO) order in the hexatic phase were directly determined. The temperature evolution of the BO order parameters was analyzed on the basis of the multicritical scaling theory (MCST). Our results confirmed the validity of the MCST in the whole temperature range of the existence of the hexatic phase for all three compounds. The temperature dependence of the BO order parameters in the vicinity of the hexatic-smectic transition was fitted by a conventional power law with a critical exponent β ≈ 0.1 of extremely small value. We found that the temperature dependence of higher order harmonics of the BO order scales as the powers of the first harmonic, with an exponent equal to the harmonic number. This indicates a nonlinear coupling of the BO order parameters of different order. We demonstrate that compounds of various compositions, possessing different phase sequences at low temperatures, display the same thermodynamic behavior in the hexatic phase and in the vicinity of the smectic-hexatic phase transition.

Revealing Three-Dimensional Structure of an Individual Colloidal Crystal Grain by Coherent X-Ray Diffractive Imaging

We present results of a coherent x-ray diffractive imaging experiment performed on a single colloidal crystal grain. The full three-dimensional (3D) reciprocal space map measured by an azimuthal rotational scan contained several orders of Bragg reflections together with the coherent interference signal between them. Applying the iterative phase retrieval approach, the 3D structure of the crystal grain was reconstructed and positions of individual colloidal particles were resolved. As a result, an exact stacking sequence of hexagonal close-packed layers including planar and linear defects were identified.

Tomography of a Cryo-immobilized Yeast Cell Using Ptychographic Coherent X-Ray Diffractive Imaging

The structural investigation of noncrystalline, soft biological matter using x-rays is of rapidly increasing interest. Large-scale x-ray sources, such as synchrotrons and x-ray free electron lasers, are becoming ever brighter and make the study of such weakly scattering materials more feasible. Variants of coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) are particularly attractive, as the absence of an objective lens between sample and detector ensures that no x-ray photons scattered by a sample are lost in a limited-efficiency imaging system. Furthermore, the reconstructed complex image contains quantitative density information, most directly accessible through its phase, which is proportional to the projected electron density of the sample. If applied in three dimensions, CDI can thus recover the sample's electron density distribution. As the extension to three dimensions is accompanied by a considerable dose applied to the sample, cryogenic cooling is necessary to optimize the structural preservation of a unique sample in the beam. This, however, imposes considerable technical challenges on the experimental realization. Here, we show a route toward the solution of these challenges using ptychographic CDI (PCDI), a scanning variant of coherent imaging. We present an experimental demonstration of the combination of three-dimensional structure determination through PCDI with a cryogenically cooled biological sample—a budding yeast cell (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)—using hard (7.9 keV) synchrotron x-rays. This proof-of-principle demonstration in particular illustrates the potential of PCDI for highly sensitive, quantitative three-dimensional density determination of cryogenically cooled, hydrated, and unstained biological matter and paves the way to future studies of unique, nonreproducible biological cells at higher resolution.

A liquid jet setup for x-ray scattering experiments on complex liquids at free-electron laser sources

In this paper we describe a setup for x-ray scattering experiments on complex fluids using a liquid jet. The setup supports Small and Wide Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS/WAXS) geometries. The jet is formed by a gas-dynamic virtual nozzle (GDVN) allowing for diameters ranging between 1 μm and 20 μm at a jet length of several hundred μm. To control jet properties such as jet length, diameter, or flow rate, the instrument is equipped with several diagnostic tools. Three microscopes are installed to quantify jet dimensions and stability in situ. The setup has been used at several beamlines performing both SAXS and WAXS experiments. As a typical example we show an experiment on a colloidal dispersion in a liquid jet at the X-ray Correlation Spectroscopy instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source free-electron laser.

Training children's theory-of-mind: A meta-analysis of controlled studies

BACKGROUND

Theory-of-mind (ToM) refers to knowledge and awareness of mental states in oneself and others. Various training programs have been developed to improve ToM in children.

OBJECTIVES

In the present study, we conducted a quantitative review of ToM training programs that have been tested in controlled studies.

DATA SOURCES

A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Library, and manual searches.

REVIEW METHODS

We identified 32 papers with 45 studies or experiments that included 1529 children with an average age of 63 months (SD=28.7).

RESULTS

ToM training procedures were more effective than control procedures and their aggregate effect size was moderately strong (Hedges' g=0.75, CI=0.60-0.89, p<.001). Moderator analyses revealed that although ToM training programs were generally effective, ToM skill-related outcomes increased with length of training sessions and were significantly higher in active control studies.

CONCLUSION

ToM training procedures can effectively enhance ToM in children.

Colloidal crystallite suspensions studied by high pressure small angle x-ray scattering

We report on high pressure small angle x-ray scattering on suspensions of colloidal crystallites in water. The crystallites made out of charge-stabilized poly-acrylate particles exhibit a complex pressure dependence which is based on the specific pressure properties of the suspending medium water. The dominant effect is a compression of the crystallites caused by the compression of the water. In addition, we find indications that also the electrostatic properties of the system, i.e. the particle charge and the dissociation of ions, might play a role for the pressure dependence of the samples. The data further suggest that crystallites in a metastable state induced by shear-induced melting can relax to a similar structural state upon the application of pressure and dilution with water. X-ray cross correlation analysis of the two-dimensional scattering patterns indicates a pressure-dependent increase of the orientational order of the crystallites correlated with growth of these in the suspension. This study underlines the potential of pressure as a very relevant parameter to understand colloidal crystallite systems in aqueous suspension.

Children's emotion understanding: A meta-analysis of training studies

BACKGROUND

In the course of development, children show increased insight and understanding of emotions-both of their own emotions and those of others. However, little is known about the efficacy of training programs aimed at improving children's understanding of emotion.

OBJECTIVES

To conduct an effect size analysis of trainings aimed at three aspects of emotion understanding: external aspects (i.e., the recognition of emotional expressions, understanding external causes of emotion, understanding the influence of reminders on present emotions); mental aspects (i.e., understanding desire-based emotions, understanding belief-based emotions, understanding hidden emotions); and reflective aspects (i.e., understanding the regulation of an emotion, understanding mixed emotions, understanding moral emotions).

DATA SOURCES

A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Library, and manual searches.

REVIEW METHODS

The search identified 19 studies or experiments including a total of 749 children with an average age of 86 months (S.D.=30.71) from seven different countries.

RESULTS

Emotion understanding training procedures are effective for improving external (Hedge's g = 0.62), mental (Hedge's g = 0.31), and reflective (Hedge's g = 0.64) aspects of emotion understanding. These effect sizes were robust and generally unrelated to the number and lengths of training sessions, length of the training period, year of publication, and sample type. However, training setting and social setting moderated the effect of emotion understanding training on the understanding of external aspects of emotion. For the length of training session and social setting, we observed significant moderator effects of training on reflective aspects of emotion.

CONCLUSION

Emotion understanding training may be a promising tool for both preventive intervention and the psychotherapeutic process. However, more well-controlled studies are needed.

Versatile atomic force microscopy setup combined with micro-focused X-ray beam

Micro-focused X-ray beams produced by third generation synchrotron sources offer new perspective of studying strains and processes at nanoscale. Atomic force microscope setup combined with a micro-focused synchrotron beam allows precise positioning and nanomanipulation of nanostructures under illumination. In this paper, we report on integration of a portable commercial atomic force microscope setup into a hard X-ray synchrotron beamline. Details of design, sample alignment procedure, and performance of the setup are presented.

Spatially resolved x-ray studies of liquid crystals with strongly developed bond-orientational order

We present an x-ray study of freely suspended hexatic films of the liquid crystal 3(10)OBC. Our results reveal spatial inhomogeneities of the bond-orientational (BO) order in the vicinity of the hexatic-smectic phase transition and the formation of large-scale hexatic domains at lower temperatures. Deep in the hexatic phase up to 25 successive sixfold BO order parameters have been directly determined by means of angular x-ray cross-correlation analysis (XCCA). Such strongly developed hexatic order allowed us to determine higher order correction terms in the scaling relation predicted by the multicritical scaling theory over a full temperature range of the hexatic phase existence.

Correlated heterogeneous dynamics in glass-forming polymers

We report x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy experiments on the dynamics of the glass-former polypropylene glycol covering a temperature range from room temperature to the glass transition at T(g)=205 K using silica tracer particles. Three temperature regimes are identified: At high temperatures, Brownian motion of the tracer particles is observed. Near T(g), the dynamics is hyperdiffusive and ballistic. Around 1.12T(g), we observe an intermediate regime. Here the stretching exponent of the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts function becomes q dependent. By analyzing higher-order correlations in the scattering data, we find that dynamical heterogeneities dramatically increase in this intermediate-temperature regime. This leads to two effects: increasing heterogeneous dynamics and correlated motion at temperatures close to and below 1.12T(g).

Hour-glass magnetic excitations induced by nanoscopic phase separation in cobalt oxides

The magnetic excitations in the cuprate superconductors might be essential for an understanding of high-temperature superconductivity. In these cuprate superconductors the magnetic excitation spectrum resembles an hour-glass and certain resonant magnetic excitations within are believed to be connected to the pairing mechanism, which is corroborated by the observation of a universal linear scaling of superconducting gap and magnetic resonance energy. So far, charge stripes are widely believed to be involved in the physics of hour-glass spectra. Here we study an isostructural cobaltate that also exhibits an hour-glass magnetic spectrum. Instead of the expected charge stripe order we observe nano phase separation and unravel a microscopically split origin of hour-glass spectra on the nano scale pointing to a connection between the magnetic resonance peak and the spin gap originating in islands of the antiferromagnetic parent insulator. Our findings open new ways to theories of magnetic excitations and superconductivity in cuprate superconductors.

High-flux ptychographic imaging using the new 55 µm-pixel detector `Lambda' based on the Medipix3 readout chip

Suitable detection systems that are capable of recording high photon count rates with single-photon detection are instrumental for coherent X-ray imaging. The new single-photon-counting pixel detector `Lambda' has been tested in a ptychographic imaging experiment on solar-cell nanowires using Kirkpatrick–Baez-focused 13.8 keV X-rays. Taking advantage of the high count rate of the Lambda and dynamic range expansion by the semi-transparent central stop, a high-dynamic-range diffraction signal covering more than seven orders of magnitude has been recorded, which corresponds to a photon flux density of about 105 photons nm−2 s−1or a flux of ∼1010 photons s−1on the sample. By comparison with data taken without the semi-transparent central stop, an increase in resolution by a factor of 3–4 is determined: from about 125 nm to about 38 nm for the nanowire and from about 83 nm to about 21 nm for the illuminating wavefield.

Double hexagonal close-packed structure revealed in a single colloidal crystal grain by Bragg rod analysis

A coherent X-ray diffraction study of a single colloidal crystal grain composed of silica spheres is reported. The diffraction data contain Bragg peaks and additional features in the form of Bragg rods, which are related to the stacking of the hexagonally close-packed layers. The profile of the Bragg rod shows distinct intensity modulations which, under the specific experimental conditions used here, are directly related to the stacking sequence of the layers. Using a model for the scattered intensity along the Bragg rod for an exact stacking sequence of a finite number of hexagonally close-packed layers, it is found that a double hexagonal close-packed stacking sequence is present in the colloidal crystal grain. This analysis method opens up ways to obtain crucial structural information from finite-sized crystalline samples by employing advanced third-generation X-ray sources.

X-ray cross-correlation analysis of liquid crystal membranes in the vicinity of the hexatic-smectic phase transition

We present an x-ray study of liquid crystal membranes in the vicinity of the hexatic-smectic phase transition by means of angular x-ray cross-correlation analysis. By applying two-point angular-intensity cross-correlation functions to the measured series of diffraction patterns the parameters of bond-orientational (BO) order in hexatic phase were directly determined. The temperature dependence of the positional correlation lengths was analyzed as well. The obtained correlation lengths show larger values for the higher-order Fourier components of BO order. These findings indicate a strong coupling between BO and positional order.

In situ X-ray crystallographic study of the structural evolution of colloidal crystals upon heating

The structural evolution of colloidal crystals made of polystyrene hard spheres has been studied in situ upon incremental heating of a crystal in a temperature range below and above the glass transition temperature of polystyrene. Thin films of colloidal crystals having different particle sizes were studied in transmission geometry using a high-resolution small-angle X-ray scattering setup at the P10 Coherence Beamline of the PETRA III synchrotron facility. The transformation of colloidal crystals to a melted state has been observed in a narrow temperature interval of less than 10 K.

Microfocusing transfocator for 1D and 2D compound refractive lenses

An x-ray transfocator design for the combined use of 1D and 2D compound refractive lenses is described. The device includes stacks of beryllium parabolic lenses with different radii of curvature and provides microfocused x-ray beams in the 4-20 keV photon energy range. The transfocator has been implemented at the P10 Coherence Beamline of the PETRA III synchrotron at DESY, Hamburg. Results of transfocator performance and applications for coherent x-ray scattering experiments are presented.

Phase-contrast x-ray imaging and tomography of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

We have analyzed the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans with the help of phase-contrast x-ray tomography. This work combines techniques from x-ray imaging studies of single biological cells by in-line holography with three-dimensional reconstruction and furthermore extends these studies to the multicellular level. To preserve the sub-cellular ultrastructure of the nematodes, we used the near-native sample preparation of high-pressure freezing as commonly used in the field of electron microscopy. For the presented samples, a standard, non-magnifying parallel-beam setting, as well as a magnifying, divergent-beam setting using nanofocusing optics is evaluated based on their tomographic reconstruction potential. In this paper, we address difficulties in sample preparation and issues of image processing. By experimental refinement and through optimized reconstruction procedures, we were able to perform x-ray imaging studies on a living specimen.

Sub-10 nm beam confinement by X-ray waveguides: design, fabrication and characterization of optical properties

The propagation of hard X-ray synchrotron beams in waveguides with guiding layer diameters in the 9-35 nm thickness range has been studied. The planar waveguide structures consist of an optimized two-component cladding. The presented fabrication method is suitable for short and leak-proof waveguide slices with lengths (along the optical axis) in the sub-500 µm range, adapted for optimized transmission at photon energies of 11.5-18 keV. A detailed comparison between finite-difference simulations of waveguide optics and the experimental results is presented, concerning transmission, divergence of the waveguide exit beam, as well as the angular acceptance. In a second step, two crossed waveguides have been used to create a quasi-point source for propagation-based X-ray imaging at the new nano-focus endstation of the P10 coherence beamline at Petra III. By inverting the measured Fraunhofer diffraction pattern by an iterative error-reduction algorithm, a two-dimensional focus of 10 nm × 10 nm is obtained. Finally, holographic imaging of a lithographic test structure based on this optical system is demonstrated.

Three-dimensional structure of a single colloidal crystal grain studied by coherent x-ray diffraction

A coherent x-ray diffraction experiment was performed on an isolated colloidal crystal grain at the coherence beamline P10 at PETRA III. Using azimuthal rotation scans the three-dimensional (3D) scattered intensity from the sample in the far-field was measured. It includes several Bragg peaks as well as the coherent interference around these peaks. The analysis of the scattered intensity reveals the presence of plane defects in a single grain of the colloidal sample. We confirm these findings by model simulations. In these simulations we also analyze the experimental conditions required to phase the 3D diffraction pattern from a single colloidal grain. This approach has the potential to produce a high resolution image of the sample revealing its inner structure, with possible structural defects.

Single shot spatial and temporal coherence properties of the SLAC Linac Coherent Light Source in the hard x-ray regime

We measured the transverse and longitudinal coherence properties of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC in the hard x-ray regime at 9 keV photon energy on a single shot basis. Speckle patterns recorded in the forward direction from colloidal nanoparticles yielded the transverse coherence properties of the focused LCLS beam. Speckle patterns from a gold nanopowder recorded with atomic resolution allowed us to measure the shot-to-shot variations of the spectral properties of the x-ray beam. The focused beam is in the transverse direction fully coherent with a mode number close to 1. The average number of longitudinal modes behind the Si(111) monochromator is about 14.5 and the average coherence time τ(c)=(2.0±1.0) fc. The data suggest a mean x-ray pulse duration of (29±14)  fs behind the monochromator for (100±14) fc electron pulses.

X-ray near-field speckle: implementation and critical analysis

The newly introduced coherence-based technique of X-ray near-field speckle (XNFS) has been implemented at 8-ID-I at the Advanced Photon Source. In the near-field regime of high-brilliance synchrotron X-rays scattered from a sample of interest, it turns out that, when the scattered radiation and the main beam both impinge upon an X-ray area detector, the measured intensity shows low-contrast speckles, resulting from interference between the incident and scattered beams. A micrometer-resolution XNFS detector with a high numerical aperture microscope objective has been built and its capability for studying static structures and dynamics at longer length scales than traditional far-field X-ray scattering techniques is demonstrated. Specifically, the dynamics of dilute silica and polystyrene colloidal samples are characterized. This study reveals certain limitations of the XNFS technique, especially in the characterization of static structures, which is discussed.

Firmware lower-level discrimination and compression applied to streaming x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy area-detector data

We present a data acquisition system to perform on-the-fly background subtraction and lower-level discrimination compression of streaming x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy data from a fast charge-coupled device (CCD) area detector. The system is built using a commercial frame grabber with an on-board field-programmable gate array. The system is capable of continuously processing at least 60 CCD frames per second each consisting of 1024 × 1024 16-bit pixels with ≲ 15,000 photon hits per frame at a maximum compression factor of ≈95%.

Partially coherent nano-focused x-ray radiation characterized by Talbot interferometry

We have studied the spatial coherence properties of a nano-focused x-ray beam by grating (Talbot) interferometry in projection geometry. The beam is focused by a fixed curvature mirror system optimized for high flux density under conditions of partial coherence. The spatial coherence of the divergent exit wave emitted from the mirror focus is measured by Talbot interferometry The results are compared to numerical calculations of coherence propagation. In view of imaging applications, the magnified in-line image of a test pattern formed under conditions of partial coherence is analyzed quantitatively. Finally, additional coherence filtering by use of x-ray waveguides is demonstrated. By insertion of x-ray waveguides, the beam diameter can be reduced from typical values of 200 nm to values below 15 nm. In proportion to the reduction in the focal spot size, the numerical aperture (NA) of the projection imaging system is increased, as well as the coherence length, as quantified by grating interferometry.

Clinically Relevant Measures of Children's Theory of Mind and Knowledge about Thinking: Non-Standard and Advanced Measures

Measures of Theory of Mind (ToM) in clinical disorders and conditions are reviewed, focusing on non-standard and advanced measures. Relevant studies linking these measures to social problems and cognitive symptoms are reviewed. The multifaceted nature of ToM is stressed and clinically relevant aspects of ToM are suggested. Strategies to select relevant measures for clinical research and practice are presented and examples are discussed in more detail. It is recommended to consider specific aspects of ToM in relation to specific clinical conditions and symptoms. Relationships between ToM and other cognitive deficits, and implications for clinical practice and intervention are also discussed.

Intrusive thoughts and young children's knowledge about thinking following a natural disaster

BACKGROUND

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast in August 2005. Intrusive re-experiencing is a common posttraumatic stress symptom. However, young children with limited introspection skills might have difficulties identifying their intrusive thoughts.

METHOD

A sample of 165 5- to 9-year-old children were surveyed about their unwanted intrusive thoughts and their knowledge about thinking, 10 months following the hurricane.

RESULTS

Results replicate and extend the findings from a previous study (Sprung, 2008). Although there was no difference in the overall occurrence of intrusive thoughts, there was a striking difference between hurricane-exposed and control children in their contents. Children's knowledge about thinking was linked to their ability to report on their negative intrusive thoughts, even taking language ability into account.

CONCLUSION

There is a shift toward negative content following hurricane exposure compared with non-hurricane-exposed children and knowledge about thinking is linked to the reporting of such intrusive thoughts. Implications for current research on autobiographical memory and for interventions following potentially traumatic events are discussed.

A bi-prism interferometer for hard X-ray photons

Micro-fabricated bi-prisms have been used to create an interference pattern from an incident hard X-ray beam, and the intensity of the pattern probed with fluorescence from a 30 nm-thick metal film. Maximum fringe visibility exceeded 0.9 owing to the nano-sized probe and the choice of single-crystal prism material. A full near-field analysis is necessary to describe the fringe field intensities, and the transverse coherence lengths were extracted at APS beamline 8-ID-I. It is also shown that the maximum number of fringes is dependent only on the complex refractive index of the prism material.

Kinoform optics applied to X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy

Moderate-demagnification higher-order silicon kinoform focusing lenses have been fabricated to facilitate small-angle X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) experiments. The geometric properties of such lenses, their focusing performance and their applicability for XPCS measurements are described. It is concluded that one-dimensional vertical X-ray focusing via silicon kinoform lenses significantly increases the usable coherent flux from third-generation storage-ring light sources for small-angle XPCS experiments.

Surface X-ray speckles: coherent surface diffraction from Au(001)

We present coherent speckled x-ray diffraction patterns obtained from a monolayer of surface atoms. We measured both the specular anti-Bragg reflection and the off-specular hexagonal reconstruction peak for the Au(001) surface reconstruction. We observed fluctuations of the speckle patterns even when the integrated intensity appears static. By autocorrelating the speckle patterns, we were able to identify two qualitatively different surface dynamic behaviors of the hex reconstruction depending on the sample temperature.

Diamond kinoform hard X-ray refractive lenses: design, nanofabrication and testing

Motivated by the anticipated advantageous performance of diamond kinoform refractive lenses for synchrotron X-ray radiation studies, this report focuses on progress in designing, nanofabricating and testing of their focusing performance. The method involves using lift-off and plasma etching to reproduce a planar definition of numerically determined kinoform refractive optics. Tests of the focusing action of a diamond kinoform refractive lens at the APS 8-ID-I beamline demonstrate angular control of the focal spot.