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We report on a novel multi-color method of X-ray spectroscopy at a Synchrotron radiation source that uses two simultaneously filled electron orbits in an electron storage ring to generate multiple soft or tender X-ray beams of different wavelength. To establish the second orbit, we use nonlinear beam dynamics in the so called TRIBs-transverse resonance island buckets-mode of the BESSY II storage ring, where a second electron orbit winds around the regular one leading to transversely separated source points. X-ray beams of multiple colors are generated by imaging the individual source points via different pathways through a monochromator. The particular colors can be varied by changing the traversal electron beam positions through storage-ring parameters and/or via the monochromator dispersion. As a proof of principle, X-ray absorption spectroscopy is performed on thin Fe films in transmission as well as a scanning transmission measurement on a Fe 3 GeTe 2 sample of inhomogeneous thickness normalizing resonant signals with the pre-edge intensity. Using the extraordinary pointing fidelity of successive X-ray macro-pulses arriving at MHz repetition rates, a detection of tiny contrasts in diluted systems, contrast enhancement in X-ray microscopy as well as fast dynamics studies come into reach., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Research on the long-term mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across mental disorders is limited, and information on the impact of public health policy measures with varying strictness is missing. This study therefore aimed at investigating psychological distress among residents of Tyrol (Austria) and South Tyrol (Italy) at the early stages of the pandemic and 5 months thereafter and examined how sociodemographic, protective, and risk factors relate to change over time. One hundred and fifteen people with severe mental illness (SMI; schizophrenia spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder with psychotic features) or major depressive disorder without psychotic features (MDD) and 481 community controls without mental disorders participated in an online survey. Next to the collection of sociodemographic and COVID-19 related variables, the Brief Symptom Checklist, the Resilience Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Three-Item Loneliness Scale, and the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale-Short Form were used to assess psychological distress, resilience, perceived social support, loneliness, and boredom. Levels of psychological symptoms and the prevalence of psychological distress were significantly higher in individuals with MDD compared to the other two groups, and Italian participants were more prone to anxiety than those from Austria. Psychological distress was predicted by a lower degree of both resilience and perceived social support as well as loneliness and boredom. Notably, the prevalence of clinically relevant psychological symptoms remained unchanged among each group over time. These results underscore the relevance of tailored prevention and mitigation strategies to meet the specific needs of people both with and without mental disorders., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Implementation of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in clinical routine requires knowledge and competences regarding their use. In order to facilitate implementation, an e-learning course for health care professionals (HCPs) on the utilisation of European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) PROMs in oncological clinical practice is being developed. This study aimed to explore future users' educational needs regarding content and learning methods., Methods: The sequential mixed methods approach was applied. A scoping literature review informed the guideline for qualitative interviews with HCPs with diverse professional backgrounds in oncology and cancer advocates recruited using a purposive sampling strategy. An international online survey was conducted to validate the qualitative findings., Results: Between December 2019 and May 2020, 73 interviews were conducted in 9 countries resulting in 8 topic areas (Basic information on PROs in clinical routine, Benefits of PRO assessments in clinical practice, Implementation of PRO assessments in clinical routine, Setup of PRO assessments for clinical application, Interpretation of PRO data, Integration of PROs into the communication with patients, Use of PROs in clinical practice, Self-management recommendations for patients based on PROs) subsequently presented in the online survey. The online survey (open between 3 June and 19 July 2020) was completed by 233 HCPs from 33 countries. The highest preference was indicated for content on interpretation of PRO data (97%), clinical benefits of assessing PRO data (95.3%) and implementation of routine PRO data assessment (94.8%). Regarding learning methods, participants indicated a high preference for practical examples that use a mixed approach of presentation (written, audio, video and interactive)., Conclusion: Educational needs for an integration of PROs in communication in clinical care and coherent implementation strategies became evident. These results inform the development of an e-learning course to support HCPs in the clinical use of EORTC PRO measures., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Positive psychology deals with factors that make life most worth living and focuses on enhancing individual potentials. Particularly, character strengths can positively contribute to well-being and work-related health, bearing a promising potential for professions, such as physicians, who are at risk for burnout or mental illnesses. This study aims to identify beneficial character strengths by examining the quantitative and qualitative data. In a cross-sectional multi-method study, 218 hospital physicians completed an online survey assessing their character strengths and their general and work-related well-being, comprising thriving, work engagement, and burnout dimensions (outcome variables). Quantitative data were analyzed for the total sample and by tertiary split. Additionally, interview-gathered opinions of four resident physicians and four medical specialist educators were collected to expand the perspective on which character strengths might be beneficial for the well-being of the resident physicians. The highest significant correlations between character strengths and outcome variables were found for hope and thriving ( r = 0.67), zest , and work engagement ( r = 0.67) as well as emotional exhaustion ( r = -0.47), perseverance/leadership and depersonalization ( r = -0.27), bravery , and reduced personal accomplishment ( r = -0.39). Tertiary splits revealed that some correlations were not consistent across the entire scale continuum, for example, creativity was only significantly correlated with comparatively high levels of thriving ( r = 0.28) or forgiveness with comparatively high levels of depersonalization ( r = -0.34). Humility , s ocial intelligence , and teamwork showed predominantly low correlations with all outcome variables ( r = -0.17 - 0.34), although humility was stated by all interviewed medical specialist educators to be the most relevant for the well-being at work, and the latter two by three resident physicians, respectively. Different perspectives resulting from quantitative and qualitative data in terms of beneficial character strengths for work-related well-being may be driven by different work experiences, professional understandings, generational beliefs, or social expectations. Some significant correlations between character strengths and well-being outcomes varied depending on low, medium, or high outcomes. This raises questions about suitable work-related well-being interventions, as simple single intervention approaches (one intervention fits all) may not work for the respective outcome levels. These new findings warrant further research on how to foster the well-being of resident physicians at work., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Kachel, Huber, Strecker, Höge and Höfer.)

Character strengths profiles in the specific setting of medical professionals are widely unchartered territory. This paper focused on an overview of character strengths profiles of medical professionals (medical students and physicians) based on literature research and available empirical data illustrating their impact on well-being and work engagement. A literature research was conducted and the majority of peer-reviewed considered articles dealt with theoretical or conceptually driven 'virtues' associated with medical specialties or questions of ethics in patient care (e.g., professionalism, or what makes a good physician). The virtues of compassion, courage, altruism, and benevolence were described most often. Only a limited number of papers addressed character strengths of medical students or physicians according to the VIA-classification. Those articles showed that the VIA-character strengths fairness, honesty , kindness , and teamwork were considered most often by respondents to be particularly important for the medical profession. Available cross-sectional (time span: six years) and longitudinal (time span: three years) data regarding VIA-character strengths profiles of medical professionals were analyzed ( N = 584 medical students, 274 physicians). These profiles were quite homogenous among both groups. The character strengths fairness , honesty , judgment , kindness , and love had the highest means in both samples. Noteworthy differences appeared when comparing medical specialties, in particular concerning general surgeons and psychiatrists, with the former reporting clearly higher levels of e.g., honesty ( d = 1.02) or prudence ( d = 1.19). Long-term results revealed significant positive effects of character strengths on well-being and work engagement (e.g., perseverance on physicians' work engagement) but also significant negative effects (e.g., appreciation of beauty and excellence on students' well-being). Further, hope was significantly associated both positively with physicians' well-being and negatively with students' work engagement, possibly indicating specific issues concerning medical education or hospital working conditions. According to the modern-day physician's pledge, medical professionals should pay attention to their own well-being and health. Therefore, promoting self-awareness and character building among medical professionals could be a beneficial strategy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Huber, Strecker, Kachel, Höge and Höfer.)

Signature character strengths can foster health-related outcomes in work and private life, thus being particularly important for endangered occupational groups like physicians. However, situational circumstances need to allow character strengths demonstration (applicability) first to enable their application. Therefore, this study addresses the role of (1) applicability of signature character strengths in work and private life beyond their possession and (2) relationships with well-being, work engagement, and burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment). Hospital physicians ( N = 274) completed an online survey examining their signature character strengths and applicability, well-being, work engagement, and burnout dimensions. The top-five individual signature character strengths were fairness, honesty, judgment, kindness, and love. Hierarchical multiple linear regressions revealed that the possession as well as the applicability of signature character strengths was important in work and private life, but to different degrees. Possessing fairness, honesty, or kindness indicated significant positive relations with subjective well-being, whereas judgment and kindness seemed to negatively interact with reduced personal accomplishment. Hospital physicians' applicability of fairness, honesty, judgment, and love was particularly essential for their psychological well-being and work engagement, whereas the applicability of fairness (reduced personal accomplishment) and judgment (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization) at work interacted negatively with the respective outcomes. Therefore, creating awareness for individual signature character strengths as well as providing applicability in hospitals and private life could be a promising approach to improve physicians' well-being and consequently patient care as well as the performance of the health-care system in general.

Reports of medical students experiencing burnout-related symptoms (e.g., cynicism) have increased in recent years. Little is known about the developmental process of this phenomenon and its relations with signature character strengths and well-being. The aim of this longitudinal analysis was to explore changes in the level of cynicism of medical students while in preclinical education. We further examined how the applicability of signature character strengths and well-being are related to this developmental process. Medical students ( N = 99) participated in three online surveys over 3 years during medical school. Latent growth modeling, latent class growth modeling, general mixed modeling was conducted, and post hoc mixed ANOVA, Friedman test and Welch test analyses were examined. The results showed an increase in cynicism among medical students from first to last measurement. Two groups with distinct developmental trajectory patterns of cynicism were identified. Students with high levels of cynicism ( high-level group) and students with changing levels of cynicism ( increasing group) perceived higher applicability of signature character strengths in private life compared to the study context. Moreover, the high-level group experienced significantly lower psychological well-being (in particular mastery, optimism, and relationship) in their first year of medical education. This explorative study offers a comprehensive understanding of cynicism development in medical students during medical school and its relations to the applicability of signature character strengths and well-being. Prospective replication studies are needed to replicate the results obtained in this study., (Copyright © 2020 Kachel, Huber, Strecker, Höge and Höfer.)

One of the key processes setting the speed of the ultrafast magnetization phenomena is the angular momentum transfer from and into the spin system. However, the way the angular momentum flows during ultrafast demagnetization and magnetization switching phenomena remains elusive so far. We report on time-resolved soft x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements of the ferrimagnetic GdFeCo alloy allowing us to record the dynamics of elemental spin and orbital moments at the Fe and Gd sites during femtosecond laser-induced demagnetization. We observe a complete transfer of spin and orbital angular momentum to the lattice during the first hundreds of femtoseconds of the demagnetization process.

We present a general experimental concept for jitter-free pump and probe experiments at free electron lasers. By generating pump and probe pulse from one and the same X-ray pulse using an optical split-and-delay unit, we obtain a temporal resolution that is limited only by the X-ray pulse lengths. In a two-color X-ray pump and X-ray probe experiment with sub 70 fs temporal resolution, we selectively probe the response of orbital and charge degree of freedom in the prototypical functional oxide magnetite after photoexcitation. We find electronic order to be quenched on a time scale of (30 ± 30) fs and hence most likely faster than what is to be expected for any lattice dynamics. Our experimental result hints to the formation of a short lived transient state with decoupled electronic and lattice degree of freedom in magnetite. The excitation and relaxation mechanism for X-ray pumping is discussed within a simple model leading to the conclusion that within the first 10 fs the original photoexcitation decays into low-energy electronic excitations comparable to what is achieved by optical pump pulse excitation. Our findings show on which time scales dynamical decoupling of degrees of freedom in functional oxides can be expected and how to probe this selectively with soft X-ray pulses. Results can be expected to provide crucial information for theories for ultrafast behavior of materials and help to develop concepts for novel switching devices.

Ultrafast spin currents induced by femtosecond laser excitation of ferromagnetic metals have been found to contribute to sub-picosecond demagnetization, and to cause a transient enhancement of the magnetization of the bottom Fe layer in a Ni/Ru/Fe layered structure. We analyze the ultrafast magnetization dynamics in such layered structures by element- and femtosecond time-resolved x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, for different Ni and Fe layer thicknesses, Ru and Ta interlayers, and by varying the pump laser fluence. While we do not observe the transient enhancement of the magnetization in Ni/Ru/Fe discovered previously, we do find a reduced demagnetization of the Fe layer compared to a Ni/Ta/Fe layered structure. In the latter, the spin-scattering Ta layer suppresses spin currents from the Ni layer into Fe, consistent with previous results. Any spin current arriving in the lower Fe layer will counteract other, local demagnetization mechanisms such as phonon-mediated spin-flip scattering. We find by increasing the Ni and Fe layer thicknesses in Ni/Ru/Fe a decreasing effect of spin currents on the buried Fe layer, consistent with a mean free path of the laser-induced spin currents of just a few nm. Our results suggest that in order to utilize ultrafast spin currents in an efficient manner, the sample design has to be optimized with these considerations in mind, and further studies clarifying the role of interfaces in the employed layered structures are needed.

A comprehensive investigation of the emission characteristics for electrons induced by X-rays of a few hundred eV at grazing-incidence angles on an atomically clean Cu(111) sample during laser excitation is presented. Electron energy spectra due to intense infrared laser irradiation are investigated at the BESSY II slicing facility. Furthermore, the influence of the corresponding high degree of target excitation (high peak current of photoemission) on the properties of Auger and photoelectrons liberated by a probe X-ray beam is investigated in time-resolved pump and probe measurements. Strong electron energy shifts have been found and assigned to space-charge acceleration. The variation of the shift with laser power and electron energy is investigated and discussed on the basis of experimental as well as new theoretical results.

The slicing facility FemtoSpeX at BESSY II offers unique opportunities to study photo-induced dynamics on femtosecond time scales by means of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, resonant and non-resonant X-ray diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments in the soft X-ray regime. Besides femtosecond X-ray pulses, slicing sources inherently also produce a so-called `halo' background with a different time structure, polarization and pointing. Here a detailed experimental characterization of the halo radiation is presented, and a method is demonstrated for its correct and unambiguous removal from femtosecond time-resolved data using a special laser triggering scheme as well as analytical models. Examples are given for time-resolved measurements with corresponding halo correction, and errors of the relevant physical quantities caused by either neglecting or by applying a simplified model to describe this background are estimated.

Nonlinear magnetization dynamics is essential for the operation of numerous spintronic devices ranging from magnetic memory to spin torque microwave generators. Examples are microwave-assisted switching of magnetic structures and the generation of spin currents at low bias fields by high-amplitude ferromagnetic resonance. Here we use X-ray magnetic circular dichroism to determine the number density of excited magnons in magnetically soft Ni80Fe20 thin films. Our data show that the common model of nonlinear ferromagnetic resonance is not adequate for the description of the nonlinear behaviour in the low magnetic field limit. Here we derive a model of parametric spin-wave excitation, which correctly predicts nonlinear threshold amplitudes and decay rates at high and at low magnetic bias fields. In fact, a series of critical spin-wave modes with fast oscillations of the amplitude and phase is found, generalizing the theory of parametric spin-wave excitation to large modulation amplitudes.

A new but yet well proven way of making elliptically polarized dipole radiation from the BESSY II storage ring applicable to the SX700-type collimated plane-grating monochromator PM3 is described. It is shown that due to the limited vertical acceptance of the grating a simple use of vertical apertures is not possible in this case. Rather, deflecting the beam upwards or downwards by rotating the vertically collimating toroidal mirror M1 around the light axis leads to excellent performance. The resulting detuning of the photon energy can be taken into account by a readjustment of the monochromator internal plane mirror M2. The energy resolution of the beamline is not affected by the non-zero `roll' of the collimating mirror.

Here the major upgrades of the femtoslicing facility at BESSY II (Khan et al., 2006) are reviewed, giving a tutorial on how elliptical-polarized ultrashort soft X-ray pulses from electron storage rings are generated at high repetition rates. Employing a 6 kHz femtosecond-laser system consisting of two amplifiers that are seeded by one Ti:Sa oscillator, the total average flux of photons of 100 fs duration (FWHM) has been increased by a factor of 120 to up to 10(6) photons s(-1) (0.1% bandwidth)(-1) on the sample in the range from 250 to 1400 eV. Thanks to a new beamline design, a factor of 20 enhanced flux and improvements of the stability together with the top-up mode of the accelerator have been achieved. The previously unavoidable problem of increased picosecond-background at higher repetition rates, caused by `halo' photons, has also been solved by hopping between different `camshaft' bunches in a dedicated fill pattern (`3+1 camshaft fill') of the storage ring. In addition to an increased X-ray performance at variable (linear and elliptical) polarization, the sample excitation in pump-probe experiments has been considerably extended using an optical parametric amplifier that supports the range from the near-UV to the far-IR regime. Dedicated endstations covering ultrafast magnetism experiments based on time-resolved X-ray circular dichroism have been either upgraded or, in the case of time-resolved resonant soft X-ray diffraction and reflection, newly constructed and adapted to femtoslicing requirements. Experiments at low temperatures down to 6 K and magnetic fields up to 0.5 T are supported. The FemtoSpeX facility is now operated as a 24 h user facility enabling a new class of experiments in ultrafast magnetism and in the field of transient phenomena and phase transitions in solids.

BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) comprises an attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis and is used for vaccination against tuberculosis. An additional use of BCG is for immunotherapy of cancer in which the vaccine is administered intravesically for the treatment of superficial bladder cancer. The efficacy of immunotherapy with BCG in the prevention of recurrence is estimated at 70-99%, which is higher than for local chemotherapy. The most frequent complications of such treatment include fever and urinary bladder inflammation, while serious complications of haematogenous organ inflammation, especially inflammation of the lungs with the formation of pulmonary caseosus granulomas, are rarely seen. The authors reported a case of a 68-year-old man who was treated with intravesical BCG instillations due to a superficial bladder cancer. The patient underwent transurethral resection of bladder cancer and then periodically received intravesical BCG instillations. A few days after one instillation, systemic symptoms with a high fever appeared. Further examinations showed features of hepatitis and spread pulmonary changes. The patient underwent videothoracoscopy, and a fragment of lung parenchyma was collected. The histopathological examination revealed the presence of granulomas with central caseosus necrosis. Suspecting BCG infection, diagnostics were enhanced to include bacteriological and genetic tests for the presence of acid-resistant bacilli, which finally gave negative results. The authors diagnosed granulomatous pneumonia as a complication of intravesical BCG immunotherapy. Treatment with antituberculous drugs was initiated. After completing pharmacological treatment, radiological control was performed, which showed significant but not complete remission of pulmonary changes.

As the oldest known magnetic material, magnetite (Fe3O4) has fascinated mankind for millennia. As the first oxide in which a relationship between electrical conductivity and fluctuating/localized electronic order was shown, magnetite represents a model system for understanding correlated oxides in general. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism of the insulator-metal, or Verwey, transition has long remained inaccessible. Recently, three-Fe-site lattice distortions called trimerons were identified as the characteristic building blocks of the low-temperature insulating electronically ordered phase. Here we investigate the Verwey transition with pump-probe X-ray diffraction and optical reflectivity techniques, and show how trimerons become mobile across the insulator-metal transition. We find this to be a two-step process. After an initial 300 fs destruction of individual trimerons, phase separation occurs on a 1.5±0.2 ps timescale to yield residual insulating and metallic regions. This work establishes the speed limit for switching in future oxide electronics.

Aiming at advancing storage-ring-based ultrafast X-ray science, over the past few years many upgrades have been undertaken to continue improving beamline performance and photon flux at the Femtoslicing facility at BESSY II. In this article the particular design upgrade of one of the key optical components, the zone-plate monochromator (ZPM) beamline, is reported. The beamline is devoted to optical pump/soft X-ray probe applications with 100 fs (FWHM) X-ray pulses in the soft X-ray range at variable polarization. A novel approach consisting of an array of nine off-axis reflection zone plates is used for a gapless coverage of the spectral range between 410 and 1333 eV at a designed resolution of E/ΔE = 500 and a pulse elongation of only 30 fs. With the upgrade of the ZPM the following was achieved: a smaller focus, an improved spectral resolution and bandwidth as well as excellent long-term stability. The beamline will enable a new class of ultrafast applications with variable optical excitation wavelength and variable polarization.

Irradiating a ferromagnet with a femtosecond laser pulse is known to induce an ultrafast demagnetization within a few hundred femtoseconds. Here we demonstrate that direct laser irradiation is in fact not essential for ultrafast demagnetization, and that electron cascades caused by hot electron currents accomplish it very efficiently. We optically excite a Au/Ni layered structure in which the 30 nm Au capping layer absorbs the incident laser pump pulse and subsequently use the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism technique to probe the femtosecond demagnetization of the adjacent 15 nm Ni layer. A demagnetization effect corresponding to the scenario in which the laser directly excites the Ni film is observed, but with a slight temporal delay. We explain this unexpected observation by means of the demagnetizing effect of a superdiffusive current of non-equilibrium, non-spin-polarized electrons generated in the Au layer.

Ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic spin ordering is governed by the exchange interaction, the strongest force in magnetism. Understanding spin dynamics in magnetic materials is an issue of crucial importance for progress in information processing and recording technology. Usually the dynamics are studied by observing the collective response of exchange-coupled spins, that is, spin resonances, after an external perturbation by a pulse of magnetic field, current or light. The periods of the corresponding resonances range from one nanosecond for ferromagnets down to one picosecond for antiferromagnets. However, virtually nothing is known about the behaviour of spins in a magnetic material after being excited on a timescale faster than that corresponding to the exchange interaction (10-100 fs), that is, in a non-adiabatic way. Here we use the element-specific technique X-ray magnetic circular dichroism to study spin reversal in GdFeCo that is optically excited on a timescale pertinent to the characteristic time of the exchange interaction between Gd and Fe spins. We unexpectedly find that the ultrafast spin reversal in this material, where spins are coupled antiferromagnetically, occurs by way of a transient ferromagnetic-like state. Following the optical excitation, the net magnetizations of the Gd and Fe sublattices rapidly collapse, switch their direction and rebuild their net magnetic moments at substantially different timescales; the net magnetic moment of the Gd sublattice is found to reverse within 1.5 picoseconds, which is substantially slower than the Fe reversal time of 300 femtoseconds. Consequently, a transient state characterized by a temporary parallel alignment of the net Gd and Fe moments emerges, despite their ground-state antiferromagnetic coupling. These surprising observations, supported by atomistic simulations, provide a concept for the possibility of manipulating magnetic order on the timescale of the exchange interaction.

Femtosecond x-ray magnetic circular dichroism was used to study the time-dependent magnetic moment of 4f electrons in the ferromagnets Gd and Tb, which are known for their different spin-lattice coupling. We observe a two-step demagnetization with an ultrafast demagnetization time of 750 fs identical for both systems and slower times which differ sizeably with 40 ps for Gd and 8 ps for Tb. We conclude that spin-lattice coupling in the electronically excited state is enhanced up to 50 times compared to equilibrium.

The rapidly increasing information density required of modern magnetic data storage devices raises the question of the fundamental limits in bit size and writing speed. At present, the magnetization reversal of a bit can occur as quickly as 200 ps (ref. 1). A fundamental limit has been explored by using intense magnetic-field pulses of 2 ps duration leading to a non-deterministic magnetization reversal. For this process, dissipation of spin angular momentum to other degrees of freedom on an ultrafast timescale is crucial. An even faster regime down to 100 fs or below might be reached by non-thermal control of magnetization with femtosecond laser radiation. Here, we show that an efficient novel channel for angular momentum dissipation to the lattice can be opened by femtosecond laser excitation of a ferromagnet. For the first time, the quenching of spin angular momentum and its transfer to the lattice with a time constant of 120+/-70 fs is determined unambiguously with X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. We report the first femtosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy data over an entire absorption edge, which are consistent with an unexpected increase in valence-electron localization during the first 120+/-50 fs, possibly providing the driving force behind femtosecond spin-lattice relaxation.

At the 1.7-GeV electron storage ring BESSY II, a first source of synchrotron radiation with 100 fs pulse duration, variable (linear and circular) polarization, tunable photon energy (300 to 1400 eV), and excellent signal-to-background ratio was constructed and is now in routine operation.

The importance of occupational exposure to airborne agents in the development of obstructive lung disease is uncertain. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of smoking and of occupational exposure on the lung function and chronic respiratory symptoms. I studied a group of 1239 adults (766 men and 473 women; mean age 44.9 +/- 8.6 yrs; current smokers 42.1%, lifetime nonsmokers 41.6%) working in 5 factories in the Bielsko-Biala area. Simple spirometric test (FEV1, FVC, FEV1%FVC) and a questionnaire on chronic respiratory symptoms, smoking habits and occupational exposures were applied. Respiratory symptoms and lung function were studied in relation to years of occupational exposure and adjusted for smoking habit. Occupational exposure was reported by 35.7% (n = 442) participants (dust 20.6%; gases or fumes 27.6%; mixed exposure 51.8%), with a mean duration of 20.9 +/- 9.2 years. In all cases concentrations of noxious agents did not exceed allowed levels. The symptoms of chronic bronchitis (cough and phlegm) were present in 12.3% and airflow limitation (FEV1% FVC < 0.7) in 6.9% of subjects. The significant relation of respiratory symptoms and bronchial obstruction to smoking was confirmed. No significant association between occupational exposure and ventilatory function or respiratory symptoms was found in a whole group. Smoking--specific analysis showed that current smokers appeared to be more susceptible to the effects of professional exposure. It was expressed in lower lung function indices and significantly higher odds ratios for airflow limitation or chronic respiratory symptoms for smokers exposed compared to nonexposed. Sufficient evidence of health selection processes known as a "healthy smoker" and a "healthy worker" effects were revealed.

Au chain structures have been prepared on Ni(110). Au6 s,p-derived features in photoemission spectra are identified as quantum-wire states due to their strong dispersion along the chains and absence of dispersion perpendicular to the chains in agreement with our ab initio calculation of the electronic structure. Spin analysis reveals that the states have minority-spin character showing that the confinement of electrons in the chain structure depends on the electron spin.

Unlabelled: COPD is the most frequent chronic lung disease in Poland. The disease is however under-diagnosed, especially at the early stages. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of spirometric screening for COPD in middle aged smokers. Informations on causes and symptoms of COPD were disseminated in mass media in 14 large cities. Subject aged over 39 and with smoking history of > 10 packyears were invited for a free spirometry in local chest clinic. However, everyone attending had the spirometry performed. Spirometry was performed according to ATS recommendations. Airway obstruction (AO) was diagnosed when FEV1/FVC < 85% of N and categorised as mild (FEV1 > 70% of N), moderate (FEV1 50-69% of N) or severe (FEV1 < 50% of N). Spirometry was accompanied by an antismoking advice., Results: 12.781 subjects were screened (mean age 52 +/- 12 years, 57% males). In 8.269 subjects who complied with inclusion criteria AO was diagnosed in 29.8% (mild in 10.9%, moderate in 12% and severe in 6.9%). In smokers < 40 years of age and a history of < 10 packyears AO was found in 8.8% (mild in 6.0%, moderate in 1.8% and severe in 1.0%)., Conclusion: Mass spirometry is an effective and easy method for early detection of COPD.

A 55-year-old man underwent left pneumonectomy due to squamous cell carcinoma. Three weeks later bronchopleural fistula and pleural empyema with MRSA infection were recognized. Treatment was based on closed pleural drainage and antibiotic therapy. Initially patient was treated with trimethoprin-sulfamethoxazole and then vancomycin intravenously but empyema was not cured completely. Therefore repeated instillation of vancomycin into the empyema cavity was applied. After 6 days of treatment, culture studies of the pleural fluid became negative and drainage tube was removed 5 days later. We suggest that local administration of vancomycin is an effective method in postpneumonectomy empyema with MRSA infection.

Between May 1984 and January 1988, 18 patients (31 pyeloureteral units) with documented symptomatic cystine stones were treated. Stone size ranged from 5 to 56 mm. in largest diameter, with an average of 21 mm. All pyeloureteral units were treated initially by endourological methods, including ureteroscopy in 10, percutaneous ultrasonic lithotripsy in 9, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in 10 and chemolysis in 2. Of the patients 10 required a combination of these technologies and 2 required an open operation. Of the 31 units 23 were free of stones when the patient was discharged from the hospital. Of 8 patients with retained stones only 3 had fragments greater than 3 mm. in diameter. Based on this experience an algorithm was developed for the urological management of cystine stones. Ureteral calculi may be removed by ureteroscopic techniques or manipulated into the renal pelvis and managed as renal stones. Cystine renal calculi of less than 1.5 cm. may be treated with ESWL monotherapy. Stones of 1.5 to 3 cm. may be treated with ESWL and dissolution, or percutaneous ultrasonic lithotripsy plus dissolution. Staghorn calculi may be treated by percutaneous ultrasonic lithotripsy plus ESWL and/or dissolution for retained fragments.

A doxorubicin-resistant bladder cancer cell line has been established. This was accomplished by exposing an established human bladder tumor cell line, MGH-U1, to progressively higher concentrations of doxorubicin over a period of 12 months. The resistant cells, MGH-U1R, are nine times more resistant to doxorubicin and 30 times more resistant to daunorubicin than the parent cells. The MGH-U1R and the MGH-U1 cells have identical isozyme phenotypes. Compared to the parent cells, the resistant cells have a slower growth rate, lower confluent density, are more heterogeneous morphologically, and exhibit more chromosomal aberrations and rearrangements. The resistant cells may now be used as an experimental system for the search of means to overcome drug resistance in human bladder cancer.