Lutzals2676

A comprehensive radiological survey using multivariate statistical analysis was carried out to evaluate the distribution of 40K, 232Th, 226Ra, 235U, and 137Cs, and associated radiation indices in beach sand samples of the coastal area of the Aegean Sea. The activity concentration of selected radionuclides was measured and no clue of recent migration of radiocaesium by not only precipitation but also through an indirect way, such as ocean runoff, was found. As part of radiological risk assessment, external radiation hazard index, radium equivalent activity, effective dose, and absorbed dose rate were estimated. Pearson correlation, cluster, and PCA analysis were used by processing observed radiological parameters to determine the correlation between the radiological parameters and locations. Pearson correlation shows a strong association between all parameters and activity of 226Ra and 232Th. read more A spatial distribution map was provided to a distinct visual representation of the distribution of radionuclide contents in the study area.Prior knowledge and context-specific expectations influence the perception of sensory events, e.g., speech, as well as complex higher-order cognitive operations like text reading. Here, we focused on pre-stimulus neural activity during sentence reading to examine text type-dependent attentional bias in anticipation of written stimuli, capitalizing on the functional relevance of brain oscillations in the alpha (8-12 Hz) frequency range. Two sex- and age-matched groups of participants (n = 24 each) read identical sentences on a screen at a fixed per-constituent presentation rate while their electroencephalogram was recorded; the groups were differentially instructed to read "sentences" (genre-neutral condition) or "verses from poems" (poetry condition). Relative alpha power (pre-cue vs. post-cue) in pre-stimulus time windows was greater in the poetry condition than in the genre-neutral condition. This finding constitutes initial evidence for genre-specific cognitive adjustments that precede processing proper, and potentially links current theories of discourse comprehension to current theories of brain function.

This study aimed to investigate the potential of magnetic particle imaging (MPI) to quantify artificial stenoses in vessel phantoms in near real-time.

Custom-made stenosis phantoms with different degrees of stenosis (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%; length 40mm, inner diameter 8mm, Polyoxymethylene) were filled with diluted Ferucarbotran (superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticle (SPION) tracer agent, 500mmol (Fe)/l). A traveling wave MPI scanner (spatial resolution~2mm, gradient strength~1.5T/m, field of view 65mm length and 29mm diameter, frequencies f

=1050Hz and f

=12150Hz) was used to acquire images of the phantoms (200ms total acquisition time per image, 10 averages). Standardized grey scaling was used for comparability. All measured stenoses (n=80) were graded manually using a dedicated software tool.

MPI allowed for accurate visualization of stenoses at a frame rate of 5frames per second. Less severe stenoses were detected more precisely than higher-grade stenoses and came with smaller standard deviations. In particular, the 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% stenosis phantom were measured as 3.7±2.7% (mean±standarddeviation), 18.6±1.8%, 52.8±3.7%, 77.8±14.8% and 100±0%. Geometrical distortions occurred around the center of the high-grade stenosis and led to higher standard deviations compared to lower grade stenoses. In the frame of this study the MPI signal depended linearly on the SPION concentration down to 0.05mmol (Fe)/l.

Near real-time MPI accurately visualized and quantified different stenosis grades in vascular phantoms.

Near real-time MPI accurately visualized and quantified different stenosis grades in vascular phantoms.Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are each associated with increased suicidal behavior, but it is unclear how their comorbidity relates to suicide risk. Understanding these associations in U.S. military veterans is especially important, given their heightened risk for suicide, high prevalence of AUD, and increasing access to cannabis. We compared associations of probable AUD, CUD, and AUD/CUD with suicide ideation, plan(s), and attempt(s) in a nationally representative sample of 4,069 veterans surveyed in 2019-2020 as part of the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Among veterans who screened positive for current AUD, 8.7% also screened positive for current CUD. Among veterans who screened positive for current CUD, 33.3% screened positive for current AUD. Current and lifetime positive screens for AUD, CUD, and AUD/CUD were each strongly and independently associated with past-year suicide ideation and lifetime suicide ideation, plan(s), and attempt(s) [odds ratios (ORs) = 1.6-8.7]. Relative to veterans who screened positive for AUD only, veterans who screened positive for AUD/CUD and CUD only had higher odds of past-year suicide ideation (AUD/CUD OR = 3.3; CUD only OR = 2.4), lifetime suicide ideation (AUD/CUD OR = 1.9; CUD only OR = 2.6) and lifetime suicide plan(s) (AUD/CUD OR = 1.7; CUD only OR = 6.1). Collectively, findings suggest that screening positive for CUD might be an especially strong indicator of suicide ideation and planning in veterans with and without AUD, independent of sociodemographic, military, trauma, and other psychiatric factors. These findings underscore the importance of routine screening for CUD in suicide prevention efforts, especially as cannabis becomes more widely available.

Depression rates have reached historic highs, with 49% of Americans reporting unabating symptoms and signs of depression, representing a 12% increase compared to the same time in 2019. With depression as a moderating factor for suicide, the need for efficacious treatments for depression has never been more pronounced. Although the armamentarium of the psychiatrist seems impressive having multiple medications and psychotherapy options, with guidelines for combination and augmentation treatments; many patients do not improve or are not suitable candidates for the usual, customary and reasonable (UCR) depression treatments. The use of various forms of brain stimulation technology as a complementary or alternative treatment for depression is growing and is expected to be part of the armamentarium of most psychiatrists by 2030. One form of brain stimulation, available in a phone sized prescription device, is cranial electrical stimulation (CES) which has been used as a treatment for depression since the 1970s. We have conducted two meta-analyses of CES research for depression separating randomized controlled trials (N=5) from non-randomized studies on interventions (N=12).