Determination of antibodies against ToRCH antigens at the beginning of pregnancy allows assessment of both the maternal immune status and the risks to an adverse pregnancy outcome. Age-standardised seroprevalences were determined in sera from 1009 women of childbearing age residing in Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Poland, Turkey or China using a multiparametric immunoblot containing antigen substrates for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1, HSV-2), Bordetella pertussis, Chlamydia trachomatis, parvovirus B19, Treponema pallidum and varicella zoster virus (VZV). Seroprevalences for antibodies against HSV-1 were >90% in samples from Brazil and Turkey, whereas the other four countries showed lower mean age-adjusted seroprevalences (range: 62.5–87.9%). Samples from Brazilian women showed elevated seroprevalences of antibodies against HSV-2 (40.1%), C. trachomatis (46.8%) and B. pertussis (56.6%) compared to the other five countries. Seroprevalences of anti-T. gondii antibodies (0.5%) and anti-parvovirus B19 antibodies (7.5%) were low in samples from Chinese women, compared to the other five countries. Samples from German women revealed a low age-standardised seroprevalence of anti-CMV antibodies (28.8%) compared to the other five countries. These global differences in immune status of women in childbearing age advocate country-specific prophylaxis strategies to avoid infection with ToRCH pathogens.

We analyze the structural parameters and stellar population characteristics of early types in the Virgo cluster. In both cases, we find noticeable deviations from a simple joint behavior of dwarfs and giants; nevertheless, by comparison to a semianalytic model of galaxy formation, we conclude the relations might be reproduced by processes that form dwarfs and giants altogether. The work presented here is based on Janz & Lisker (2008, 2009).

1. A clinical and biochemical study of a group of thirty patients from northern Portugal shows that they were suffering from a mild form of pellagra with no signs of severe malnutrition or of associated deficiencies except dental abrasion caries and pyorrhoea.

2. The diet of these patients in most respects was chemically satisfactory. Apart from a very low consumption of animal protein the gross intake of calories, total protein minerals and vitamins, including nicotinic acid, was satisfactory.

3. Since the syndrome was completely cured by nicotinic acid, it is suggested that the main characteristic of a diet on which pellagra is likely to develop is not a shortage of nicotinic acid, but a lack of high-grade protein.

4. A maize diet, satisfactory so far as calories and total protein are concerned, may produce pellagra because maize proteins are short of certain essential amino-acids. Other cereal diets may also produce pellagra if the general level of nutrition is very low.

5. The syndrome may be cured either by very large doses of nicotinic acid without change of diet or by moderate doses accompanied by abundant animal protein.

Coke production capacity within AM FCWE is not self sufficient for the total HM production. PCI was started up in 2004 at Bremen BF2 and Eisenhüttenstadt BF5, with a ramp up to 180 kg/thm in one year. A working group defined the BF operating conditions leading to stable and efficient operation at high PCI. At Florange BF3 PCI trials at 220 kg/thm were successful. At Dunkerque BF4 and Gent BFA and B, the PCI rate exceeds regularly 210 kg/thm.

Background. Little is known about the effects of depression on the mortality rates of elderly subjects with dementia.

Methods. Logistic regression analysis, adjusting for possible confounders, was used to study the associations between GMS-AGECAT derived syndrome and symptom measures and 12-month mortality rates in a cohort of 73 elderly subjects who met the DSM-III-R criteria of dementia with a median MMSE score of 19.

Results. Twenty-three subjects (32%) died within the 12 month follow-up period. A baseline diagnosis of syndromal or subsyndromal depression was associated with increased mortality. At the symptom level mortality was predicted by higher scores on the factor ‘mood symptoms’. The effects of interactions between depression measures and severity of dementia were not significant.

Conclusions. Short-term mortality in elderly subjects with less severe dementia is predicted by the presence of (sub) syndromal depression and by mood symptoms. The effects of depression and severity of dementia on the mortality rates seem to be largely independent.

The index of refraction of pseudomorphic layers grown on Si has been determined at wavelengths λ=1330 nm and λ= 1550 nm, for Ge concentrations between x=0.01 and x=0.1. The refractive index values were obtained from mode profile measurements on a series of Si1−xGex waveguides. The index of refraction is significantly larger for light polarized parallel to the growth direction than for light polarized in the plane of the epilayer. This birefringence is consistent with the anisotropic index change predicted using photoelelastic theory, given the biaxial strain present in the pseudomorphic Si1−xGex layers.

Optical second-harmonic (SH) generation is used to monitor the anodic growth of oxide on a (001) Si surface. The measured SH intensity is dominated by the nonlinear optical response of the space charge region in the Si just below the Si/oxide interface. The interface SH technique can detect the onset of H desorption, identify the flat band potential, and probe the evolution of space charge within the growing oxide layer.

Quasi-phase matching in AlxGa1−xAs heterostructure optical waveguides can be used for efficient second-harmonic (SH) generation. The efficiency of these devices depends on the linear and nonlinear optical properties of the component materials. We present measurements of the SH susceptibility variation in AlxGa1−xAs with Al concentration, for fundamental light at λ = 1.06 μ. The measured SH susceptibility decreases by an order of magnitude as the Al concentration is varied from x = 0 to x = 0.97. These measurements are used to evaluate the SH generation efficiency of AlxGa1−xAs heterostructures as the structural and material parameters are varied.