The use of a multi-method approach to identify the pigments in the 12th century manuscript Liber Floridus.

A selection of illuminations of the 12th century manuscript Liber Floridus was analysed with Raman spectroscopy (in situ and laboratory measurements), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-fluorescence photography and infrared reflectography (IRR). The aim of this study is to determine the pigments used, in order to search for anachronisms. Using a combination of Raman spectroscopy (molecular information) and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (elemental information) following pigments could be identified: ultramarine (Na(8-10)Al(6)Si(6)O(24)S(2-4)), azurite (2CuCO(3)·Cu(OH)(2)), caput mortuum (Fe(2)O(3)), vermilion (HgS), orpiment (As(2)S(3)) and lead white (2PbCO(3)·Pb(OH)(2)). Moreover, two synthetic red pigments, PR4 and PR176, and a degradation product, gypsum (CaSO(4)·2H(2)O), were present in the manuscript. To establish the origin of the modern materials UV-fluorescence photography was used. Infrared reflectography (IRR) was applied to visualise the underdrawing of the investigated folios.

A randomized trial of a brief intervention for obesity in college students.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT: • Brief motivational interventions have been found to be efficacious for obesity in older adult populations. • Brief motivational interventions including delivery of personalized feedback have been found to be efficacious for reducing college student drinking. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: • First study to test the efficacy of a one-session, brief motivational intervention for obesity among college students. • One session brief motivational interventions may have an impact on the reduction of calorie-dense foods and beverages. • A brief, one-session motivational interview with personalized feedback may not be an intensive enough intervention for obesity treatment among college students. SUMMARY: Young adults are at an increased risk for weight gain as they begin college and this has implications for the onset of future health consequences. Brief motivational interventions (BMIs) have been found to be effective with college students for reducing risky health behaviours such as alcohol consumption, but have not been developed and tested with a primary goal of reducing obesity. BMIs have been developed and tested for the treatment of obesity and weight-related health behaviours (WRHB) in other populations, such as adults and adolescents, with promising results. The purpose of the following study was to develop and test the efficacy of a BMI for weight loss among overweight and obese college students. Seventy undergraduate students (85.7% female, 57.1% African-American) completed an assessment about WRHBs and then were randomized to either receive a single 60-min BMI plus a booster phone call or to assessment only. At 3 months post-intervention, effect sizes within the intervention group were twice as large as within the assessment-only group on reductions in high-calorie foods and beverages. However, there were no statistically significant differences between groups on body mass index or WRHBs. The one-session nature of the session might not have been enough to produce significant change in weight.

Prevalence, clinical manifestations, etiology, and treatment of depression in Parkinson's disease.

To determine the extent to which depression complicates Parkinson's disease (PD), the authors analyzed the literature on depression in PD in order to report on its prevalence, clinical manifestations, and treatment. By means of MEDLINE literature searches, the analysis focused on 45 PD depression studies conducted from 1922 through 1998. The results indicate that the prevalence of depression is 31% for all PD patients. The clinical manifestations of PD depression include apathy, psychomotor retardation, memory impairment, pessimism, irrationality, and suicidal ideation without suicidal behavior. PD depression is effectively treated with a variety of antidepressants, most commonly at present the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Anecdotal evidence supports the use of sertraline to treat PD depression.

Depression and Huntington's disease: prevalence, clinical manifestations, etiology, and treatment.

In order to determine the extent to which depression complicates Huntington's disease (HD), we have analyzed the existing literature on depression in HD in order to report the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and treatment of HD depression. By means of MEDLINE literature searches and reviews of HD articles' bibliographies, we identified for our analysis 16 HD depression studies. Our results indicate that the prevalence of depression is 30% for all HD patients. Clinical manifestations of HD depression include a marked increased risk for suicide. The etiology of HD depression is unclear, but may be due to a number of factors, such as dysfunction in the caudate nucleus, dysfunction in the ventral striatum, and various genetic factors that are discussed in this review. Case reports and case series support the efficacy of standard antidepressant interventions in resolving symptoms of depression. Efficacious treatments reported in the literature include tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and electroconvulsive therapy. In this study, the successful anecdotal treatment of seven consecutive HD depressed patients with sertraline suggests that sertraline may be a safe and efficacious treatment of HD depression.