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Describing the historical development of the mask (Laarve) 2 within the carnival tradition of the Basel Fasnacht (Faasnacht, Switzerland) during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, this article offers a case study of the so-called reflexive turn in late modern ('post-traditional') societies. Drawing on the concept of ritual reflexivity, we argue that the gradual development of the Fasnacht masks into oversized constructions covering the ritualist's whole head (Laarve) went hand in hand with the development of various other ritual mechanisms aimed at facilitating within the ritual framework a meditative, inward-oriented stance (enstasis). 3 This is especially interesting as carnivals tend to be associated with precisely the opposite dynamics: transcending social norms through the celebration of excess and inebriation which, in its extreme forms, may lead to ekstasis (or at least a headache). The described ritual elements are interpreted as a series of mirroring mechanisms nested within one another. The ritual handling of the Laarve by the ritualists (its donning and taking off at regular intervals) is then understood simultaneously as a facilitator and a marker fuelling and isolating individual phases of an otherwise non-discrete reflexive process. Based on first-hand accounts of ritualists' experiences of mask-wearing, we will show how Basel Fasnacht walks a tightrope between 'modelling' and 'mirroring' societal, communal and idiosyncratic levels of meaning-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background Nocturnal hypoglycemia frequently occurs in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). It can be fatal and is believed to promote the development of the hypoglycemia-unawareness syndrome. Whether [...]

Background A global cross-sectional survey (CRASH) was designed to provide information about the experiences of people with diabetes (PWD) and their caregivers in relation to severe hypoglycaemic events. Methods Adults with type 1 diabetes or insulin-treated type 2 diabetes who had experienced one or more severe hypoglycaemic events within the past 3 years, and adult caregivers for such people, were recruited from medical research panels using purposive sampling. We present here results from Germany. Results Approximately 100 individuals in each of the four participant groups completed a 30-minute online survey. Survey results indicated that the most recent severe hypoglycaemic event made many participants feel scared (80.4%), unprepared (70.4%), and/or helpless (66.5%). Severe hypoglycaemia was discussed by healthcare professionals at every visit with only 20.2% of participants who had ever had this conversation, and 53.5% of participants indicated that their insulin regimen had not changed following their most recent event. 37.1% of PWD/people with diabetes cared for by caregivers owned a glucagon kit at the time of survey completion. Conclusions The survey identified areas for improvement in the prevention and management of severe hypoglycaemic events. For healthcare professionals, these include enquiring more frequently about severe hypoglycaemia and adjusting blood glucose-lowering medication after a severe hypoglycaemic event. For individuals with diabetes and their caregivers, potential improvements include ensuring availability of glucagon at all times. Changes in these areas could lead not only to improved patient wellbeing but also to reduced use of emergency services/hospitalisation and, consequently, lower healthcare costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. One current hypothesis of biological aging proposes that aging results from the deterioration of neuroendocrine functions. Sleep dependent growth hormone (GH) secretion is diminished in elderly people. However, the time course of this decrease from puberty to senescence is still unknown. Cortisol secretion is also related to sleep processes with the 24 hr nadir occurring, like the sleep dependent GH secretory surge, during the first half of nocturnal sleep. Whether age also affects the sleep-associated nadir of cortisol secretion has yet to be clarified. This study investigated changes in GH and cortisol secretion during sleep in 30 male volunteers age 20 to 92 yr. Methods. After an adaptation night, each subject spent another night in the sleep laboratory for polygraphic sleep recording and determination of GH and cortisol levels every 15 min. Results. GH peak values exponentially decreased with age (r = -.80, p < .001), while the cortisol nadir increased linearly as a function of age (r = .79, p < .001). Age-related changes in sleep)-dependent secretion of GH and cortisol correlated significantly (r = .47, r = -.55, respectively; p < .05) with an age-dependent decrease in slow wave sleep. Conclusion. Alterations of GH peak amplitude and basal cortisol secretion are not restricted to senescence. These changes develop gradually during adult life with different time courses. Both changes in GH and cortisol secretion may act together to reduce anabolic functions of sleep in the aged.

Presents a brief overview of the important processes and techniques used industrially for forming thin films. (HM)

Insulin acts in the brain to limit food intake and improve memory function. We have previously shown that 8 weeks of intranasal insulin delivered in four daily doses of 40 IU decrease body weight and enhance word list recall. In the present study, we investigated the effect on body composition, endocrine parameters, and memory performance of 8 weeks of once-daily administration of 160 IU in healthy men. We assumed that intranasal insulin administered before nocturnal sleep, a period of relative metabolic inactivity that moreover benefits memory formation, would be superior to insulin delivery in the morning and placebo administration. After a 2-week baseline period, healthy male normal-weight subjects (mean age, 27.1 ± 0.9 years) received either placebo, 160 IU intranasal insulin in the morning, or 160 IU in the evening (n = 12 per group) for 8 consecutive weeks. Throughout the experiment, we measured body weight and body composition as well as circulating concentrations of glucose, insulin, adrenocorticotropin, cortisol, growth hormone, insulin-like growth-factor 1, adiponectin, and leptin. Declarative and procedural memory function was repeatedly assessed by means of, respectively, word list recall and word-stem priming. We found that neither morning nor evening insulin compared to placebo administration induced discernible changes in body weight and body composition. Delayed recall of words showed slight improvements by insulin administration in the evening, and serum cortisol concentrations were reduced after 2 weeks of insulin administration in the morning compared to the other groups. Results indicate that catabolic long-term effects of central nervous insulin delivery necessitate repetitive, presumably pre-meal delivery schedules. The observed memory improvements, although generally weaker than previously found effects, suggest that sleep after intranasal insulin administration may support its beneficial cognitive impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data concerning true hypoglycaemic incidence in insulin-treated patients with diabetes in real-world clinical practice are lacking in Germany. The aim of this analysis was to determine the incidence of hypoglycaemia experienced by the German cohort of patients enrolled in the global Hypoglycaemia Assessment Tool (HAT) study. This was a non-interventional, 6-month retrospective and 4-week prospective study using self-assessment questionnaires and patient diaries assessing patients aged ≥ 18 years in Germany, with type 1 diabetes (T1D) (n = 811) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) (n = 1 619) treated with insulin for > 12 months. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients experiencing ≥ 1 hypoglycaemic event during the prospective observational period (4 weeks after baseline). Predictive and continuous factors (such as age, gender, duration of insulin use and HbA1c) contributing to hypoglycaemia risk were explored. During the prospective period, at least one hypoglycaemic event was reported by 81.3 % of patients with T1D and 39.7 % of patients with T2D, indicating that hypoglycaemia is a common acute complication among patients with insulin-treated diabetes. Severe hypoglycaemia was reported by 9.1 % of patients with T1D and 5.4 % of patients with T2D. Higher rates of any and severe hypoglycaemia were reported prospectively than retrospectively, regardless of diabetes type, indicating that patients retrospectively under-report hypoglycaemia. Prospective rates (events per patient-year) of any, nocturnal and severe hypoglycaemia were 80.3, 9.9 and 3.0 for T1D and 15.6, 2.4 and 1.1 for T2D, respectively. Given the potential for recall bias in retrospective reporting, this prospective assessment of hypoglycaemia appears more reliable than retrospective assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processing silicon substrates for PV applications involves texturing, cleaning and/or etching wafer surfaces with chemical solutions. Depending on the cleanliness of the industrial equipment and the purity of the chemical solutions, surface contamination with metals or organic residues is possible (1]. The presence of trace contamination at PV junctions leads to both mid-level traps and photonic defects, which ultimately cause reduced efficiency and rapid cell degradation. Metallic impurities have a greater impact on PV cell lifetime due to their deeper energy levels in the silicon band gap [2]. On the other hand, non-metallic impurities may modify the electrical activity of PV cells because these species involve complex interactions with the host silicon lattice and its structural defects. In other words, very small amounts of contamination can result in poor PV efficiency. This paper presents an overview of the effects of adding a biodegradable complexing agent in cleaning and rinsing baths to minimize surface contamination and thereby enhance solar cell efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Schisandrol A, a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignan, was obtained by a simplified procedure from Schisandra chinensis fruits. Its reaction with carboxylic acids to give new esters (schisantherins) required special conditions such as microwave irradiation. An X-ray single crystal structure analysis of schisandrol A revealed a sterical shielding of the secondary OH group as the likely reason. The cinnamoate inhibited the P-gp drug transporters of multidrug-resistant human Kb-V1 cervix carcinoma cells better than the natural benzoate and comparable to the clinical sensitizer verapamil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]