Offsets in tide-gauge reference levels detected by satellite altimetry: ten case studies.

Comparing measurements of absolute sea level by satellite altimetry and relative sea level by a tide gauge can reveal errors in either measurement system. Combining the measurements can determine vertical land motion (VLM) at the tide gauge. We here discuss ten case studies in which a tide gauge has likely experienced a small (≤10 cm), discontinuous offset in the vertical, suggesting inadvertent loss of reference-level stability. Proper interpretation of offsets is helped if independent VLM measurements from nearby geodetic stations are available. In two cases, earthquake-induced VLM cannot be ruled out, although it appears unlikely. Offsets as small as 1-2 cm can be detected when both altimeter and tide gauge successfully observe the same ocean signal. This is most likely to occur for tide gauges located on small, open-ocean islands. Tide gauges near large land masses are typically more challenging owing to inadequacies of satellite altimetry near land and to differences between coastal and open-ocean sea levels. The case studies highlight the utility of satellite altimetry for tide-gauge quality control. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00190-023-01800-7.

In heavy drinkers, fatty acid ethyl esters remain elevated for up to 99 hours.

BACKGROUND: Both medical and forensic needs require reliable detection of earlier ethanol intake after the disappearance of ethanol from blood. The esters of ethanol with free fatty acids (FAEEs) are candidate markers of this kind. However, it is unknown whether FAEEs can serve as a marker for a single prior ethanol intake. In addition, the period for which FAEEs are elevated is unknown. Therefore, we measured FAEEs in heavy drinkers admitted to detoxification, and in healthy subjects after a drinking experiment. METHODS: Blood from 30 heavy drinkers was obtained for up to 5 days during a detoxification period in a psychiatric hospital. In addition, 17 healthy subjects who participated in a drinking experiment and who were abstinent thereafter gave blood during a similar time period for analysis of FAEEs. Fatty acid ethyl esters were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. RESULTS: Heavy drinkers had much higher ethanol and FAEEs concentrations than healthy subjects; however, in both groups, FAEEs decreased rapidly during the first day. Only in heavy drinkers, elevated concentrations of FAEEs were observed at days 2 to 4. Concentrations of FAEEs were not associated with serum triglycerides or patients' body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that kinetics of FAEEs are different in heavy drinkers compared with healthy subjects and that FAEEs are of limited value for the detection of prior single ethanol intake.

Serum concentrations of haloperidol pyridinium metabolites and the relationship with tardive dyskinesia and parkinsonism: a cross-section study in psychiatric patients.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to provide more clinical data of the potential neurotoxic metabolite haloperidol pyridinium (HP+) in psychiatric patients during long-term treatment with haloperidol and to investigate a possible relationship with extrapyramidal adverse effects. METHODS: Serum concentrations of HP+, reduced haloperidol pyridinium (RHP+), haloperidol (H), and reduced haloperidol (RH) were measured for 41 psychiatric patients of a nursing residence (27 females, 14 males, 34-79 years of age). Severity of tardive dyskinesia (TD) and parkinsonism were rated with the Tardive Dyskinesia Rating Scale (TDRS) and Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (EPS), respectively. In addition, several patient- and treatment-related variables were investigated, for example cumulative dose (Dcum) of haloperidol. RESULTS: Serum concentration were 0.69 microg/L (0-1.53) for HP+ and 0.41 microg/L (0-1.50) for RHP+ with ratios HP+/H of 0.072 (0.017-0.18) and RHP+/RH of 0.094 (0-0.36) at doses of 10.6 mg/day (3.6-30) [mean (range) in each case]. Multiple regression revealed decreased clearance of HP+ with age. One third of patients with more severe TD (TDRS > or = 10, n = 14) had an increased relative body burden of HP+ and H, as calculated by HP+/H * Dcum of haloperidol than patients with less severe or no TD (TDRS < 10, n = 27), i. e. 5.8 g (2.0-11.9) and 3.3 g (0-9.5), respectively [mean (range), p = 0.005, U test]. Patients with mild to severe parkinsonism (EPS > 0.3, n = 16) had a significantly higher aromatization ratio HP+/H than patients with no or minimal parkinsonism (EPS < or = 0.3, n = 25), i. e. 0.14 (0.04-0.36) and 0.06 (0-0.16), respectively [mean (range), p = 0.003, U test]. CONCLUSION: In psychiatric patients treated with haloperidol for the long-term, the severity of TD and parkinsonism is associated with an increased ratio HP+/H. This is explained by the neurotoxicity of HP+ according to the pyridinium hypothesis.

Water quality transformations during soil aquifer treatment at the Mesa Northwest Water Reclamation Plant, USA.

Water quality transformations during soil aquifer treatment at the Mesa Northwest Water Reclamation Plant (NWWRP) were evaluated by sampling a network of groundwater monitoring wells located within the reclaimed water plume. The Mesa Northwest Water Reclamation Plant has used soil aquifer treatment (SAT) since it began operation in 1990 and the recovery of reclaimed water from the impacted groundwater has been minimal. Groundwater samples obtained represent travel times from several days to greater than five years. Samples were analyzed for a wide range of organic and inorganic constituents. Sulfate was used as a tracer to estimate travel times and define reclaimed water plume movement. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations were reduced to approximately 1 mg/L after 12 to 24 months of soil aquifer treatment with an applied DOC concentration from the NWWRP of 5 to 7 mg/L. The specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) increased during initial soil aquifer treatment on a time-scale of days and then decreased as longer term soil aquifer treatment removed UV absorbing compounds. The trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) was a function of the dissolved organic carbon concentration and ranged from 50 to 65 micrograms THMFP/mg DOC. Analysis of trace organics revealed that the majority of trace organics were removed as DOC was removed with the exception of organic iodine. The majority of nitrogen was applied as nitrate-nitrogen and the reclaimed water plume had lower nitrate-nitrogen concentrations as compared to the background groundwater. The average dissolved organic carbon concentrations in the reclaimed water plume were less than 50% of the drinking water dissolved organic concentrations from which the reclaimed water originated.

Right lower prefronto-parietal cortical dysfunction in akinetic catatonia: a combined study of neuropsychology and regional cerebral blood flow.

BACKGROUND: Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome that can be characterized by behavioural, affective and motor abnormalities. In order to reveal further underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of psychomotor disturbances in catatonia we investigated neuropsychological function and regional cerebral perfusion (r-CBF) in a combined study. METHODS: Ten catatonic patients were investigated with Tc-99mECD brain SPECT and compared with 10 psychiatric (similar age, sex, medication and underlying psychiatric diagnosis but without catatonic syndrome) and 20 healthy controls. Neuropsychological measures included tests for general intelligence, attention, executive functions and right parietal visual-spatial abilities. Correlational analyses were performed between neuropsychological measures, catatonic symptoms and r-CBF. RESULTS: Catatonic patients showed a significant decrease of r-CBF in right lower and middle prefrontal and parietal cortex compared with psychiatric and healthy controls as well as significantly poorer performance in visual-spatial abilities associated with right parietal function. Correlational analysis revealed significant correlations between visual-spatial abilities and right parietal r-CBF only in psychiatric and healthy controls but not in catatonic patients. In contrast, attentional measures correlated significantly with motor symptoms, visual-spatial abilities and right parietal r-CBF in catatonia only but not in psychiatric or in healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Findings are preliminary but suggest right lower prefronto-parietal cortical dysfunction in catatonia, which may be closely related to psychomotor disturbances.

Maintenance and regulation of the pH microclimate at the luminal surface of the distal colon of guinea-pig.

1. The fluorescent dye 5-N-hexadecanoyl-aminofluorescein (HAF) was used to study the mechanisms involved in maintaining a relatively constant luminal surface pH (pHs) in the distal colon of the guinea-pig. The fatty acyl chain of the HAF molecule inserts into the apical membrane of epithelial cells. This allows a continuous measurement of the surface pH for several hours. 2. The localization of HAF was confirmed by confocal laser-scanning microscopy and by using monoclonal antibodies against fluorescein. The insertion of HAF into the apical membrane of the colonocytes did not change the transepithelial conductance or the short-circuit current of the epithelium. 3. With the HAF method a pH microclimate was confirmed at the colonic surface. Although the pH of the bulk luminal solution was decreased in bicarbonate-containing solution from 7.4 to 6.4 the pHs changed only in the range 7.54-6.98. 4. In the absence of bicarbonate pHs almost followed changes of bulk luminal pH. In the presence of bicarbonate there was a decrease in pHs after removal of chloride from the luminal side and an increase in pHs after addition of butyrate to the luminal solution. This suggests the involvement of a bicarbonate-anion exchange in bicarbonate secretion: a Cl--HCO3- as well as a short-chain fatty acid--HCO3- exchange. 5. The apical K+-H+-ATPase in the distal colon of guinea-pig has little influence on pHs in the presence of physiological buffer concentrations. 6. Our findings indicate that bicarbonate plays a major role in maintaining the pH microclimate at the colonic surface.

Effect of SCFA on intracellular pH and intracellular pH regulation of guinea-pig caecal and colonic enterocytes and of HT29-19a monolayers.

The response of the intracellular pH (pHi, measured with BCECF) of the caecal and distal colonic epithelium of guinea pig and of monolayers of HT29 clone 19a cells on the addition of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) was assessed. Addition of SCFA to the luminal side of these cells had no major effect on pHi, independent of whether the apical Na+/H+ exchange or the apical K+/H+ ATPase was inhibited or not. Addition of SCFA to the serosal side, on the other hand, caused a marked decrease of pHi, followed by an effective regulation back to basal values, and after removal of the acid, the cells became alkalinized. Intracellular pH is mainly regulated by mechanisms in the basolateral membrane. The basolateral Na+/H+ exchanger and the Cl-/HCO3- exchanger were mainly responsible for pHi regulation. Inhibition studies are consistent with a NHE-1 type Na+/H+ exchanger in the basolateral membranes. The apical Na+/H+ exchanger of caecal enterocytes and in HT29 cells, and the apical K+/H+ ATPase in the apical membrane of the distal colon have no or little influence on pHi regulation. The comparison shows that the HT29-19a cell line is an adequate model for studying pHi phenomena of hind gut epithelial cells.

Surface pH of the distal colonic epithelium of guinea-pigs.

A method for the continuous measurement of proton activity at the luminal surface of the gastro intestinal mucosa was developed. The pH-sensitive fluorescent dye 5-N-hexadecanoyl-amino fluorescein (HAF) was used to monitor the surface pH (pHs). HAF integrates in the apical membrane of the colonic cells because of its amphophilic character. By excitation at two different wavelengths, the ratio of the two fluorescence intensities corresponds to the pHs. pHs in the presence of bicarbonate is relatively independent of the luminal pH. In bicarbonate-free, HEPES-buffered solutions, such a constant "microclimate" was not present. Addition of 113 mmol.l-1 butyrate to the luminal solution caused an increase of the surface pH by 0.14 +/- 0.07 (n = 18) pH units in bicarbonate-containing medium. This increase was not observed in bicarbonate-free medium, indicating that the increase in pHs is due to a gain of bicarbonate during butyrate absorption.

Effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for analgesia during biliary lithotripsy.

The effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in controlling pain during biliary extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (BESWL) was assessed in 100 patients with symptomatic gallbladder calculi. Patients were divided into four groups: TENS electrodes were placed on the back at cutaneous anesthesia sites and on the right leg and the gallbladder acupuncture site in groups A and B. Electrodes were "turned on" only in group A. In groups C and D, electrodes were placed only on the back at cutaneous dermatomes. Electrodes were "turned on" in group C only. The TENS unit was stimulated at the pulse rate of 60 to 100 microseconds and frequency of 80 to 125 Hz. Lithotripsy was performed with the Lithostar Plus overhead module. The differences in the amount of analgesic used and the pain experiences by the patients in all groups were not statistically significant. The proportion of patients requiring intravenous analgesia in each group was also not significantly different (72%, 80%, 68%, 76% in groups A to D, respectively). Thus, TENS did not help in reducing the amount of intravenous analgesia required or the average pain perceived by the patient during lithotripsy treatment.

[Prospective study of the late sequelae of electroconvulsive treatment]. / Prospektive Studie zur Spätfolge der Elektrokonvulsionsbehandlung.

In a prospective pilot study 1-3 years after no less than 5 ECT. 12 patients were examined clinically, and by means of psychological tests and computer-aided tomography. Convincing indications of lasting therapy-determined brain damages could not be found.

[Aggressive behavior in the psychiatric clinic]. / Aggressives Verhalten in der psychiatrischen Klinik.

Self and other directed violence of male psychiatric patients have been registered. The diagnostic analysis revealed an unequivocal correlation to delusional diseases and cerebroorganic hamper. Few patients caused a high percentage of all registered aggressions. Due to limited possibilities of drug treatment, changes of organization of communication and of the socio-organisational framework are aspired for the future.

[Tardive dystonia--a case report on therapy and metaphylaxis]. / Tardive dystonie--ein kasuistischer Beitrag zur Therapie und Metaphylaxe.

The article deals with a case of tardive dystonia describing grave complications as result of long-term recidive-fluphenacindepot-treatment; therapy and metaphylaxy-problematic are being discussed as well.

[An additional unit for the "Minicoma" electroconvulsator]. / Zusatzgerät zum "Minicoma"--Elektrokonvulsator.

Discussion of the necessity of unilateral ECT with discontinuous stimulation current and report on an add-on unit to the electroconvulsator "Minicoma" realizing the required stimulation parameters.

[Monozygotic twins with schizoform psychosis and hypothalamic-induced hypogonadotropic hypogonadism]. / Eineiiges Zwillingspaar mit schizoformer Psychose und hypothalamisch bedingtem hypogonadotropen Hypogonadismus.

It is reported about an uniovular male pair of twins which has been permanently hospitalized because of an intermittently progressing schizoform psychosis. A hypothalamically conditioned hypogonadotropic hypogonadism provable beyond that substantiates the possibility of the common causal genetic embodiment of both the clinical pictures which is disputed in literature.

[Electroconvulsive treatment of psychotic patients with organic brain damage]. / Elektrokrampfbehandlung bei Psychotikern mit organischem Hirnschaden.

It is reported about 2 patients in whom the decision on electroconvulsive therapy was rendered more problematic by proven organic defects of the brain or a seizure disease. In our opinion, the electroconvulsive therapy is, in exceptional cases, also practicable under these conditions after an exact risk-benefit analysis.

The influence of cholesterol on the main phase transition of unilamellar dipalmytoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles. A differential scanning calorimetry and iodine laser T-jump study.

The influence of cholesterol (CHOL) on the main phase transition in single shell dipalmytoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles was investigated in equilibrium and kinetic experiments. CHOL increases the optical density and causes a slight hysteresis in turbidity transition curves. Static fluorescence anisotropy measurements showed interesting differences for three probes sensing different parts in the hydrophobic region of the phospholipid bilayer. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) peaks can be separated into a narrow and a broad component. The narrow component, which decreases linearly with increasing CHOL content and disappears at 20 mol %, is attributed to the transition of free phospholipid, while the broad component, being associated with the transition of CHOL-lipid units, increases monotoniously from 0 to 20%. Kinetic experiments were performed on our iodine-laser T-jump arrangement with turbidity detection. Three cooperative relaxation signals in the microsecond and millisecond time range were detected for pure DPPC vesicles as well as vesicles containing 7.5 and 16.5 mol % CHOL. All three relaxation processes were changed by CHOL: the superposition of the three relaxation amplitudes can be separated into a narrow and a broad component, as in DSC experiments. A speculative model is presented which assumes an inhomogeneous CHOL distribution fluctuating on a millisecond time scale in the temperature region of the main phase transition.

Dynamic fluorescence measurements on the main phase transition of dipalmytoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles.

The kinetics of the main phase transition in dipalmytoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles have been investigated using our iodine laser-T-jump technique with fluorescence detection. A set of three fluorescent probes has been used to sense different parts of the bilayer hydrocarbon chain region. The well established membrane probes DPH and TMADPH as well as DPHPC, a labelled DPPC molecule. We report three relaxation signals in the microseconds and ms time range, which are detected with all three probes. This result supports our model of the main phase transition in DPPC vesicles.