Beta-blocker therapy of severe congestive heart failure in infants with left to right shunts

We report on the clinical and neurohumoral effects of adding low-dose propranolol to conventional therapy with digoxin and diuretics in 6 infants with severe congestive heart failure due to large left-to-right shunts. A significant decrease in heart failure scores and a decrease of the highly activated renin-angiotensin-1 aldosterone system by approximately 70% strongly suggests a beneficial effect of this new therapeutic approach.     

Model-driven design for the visual analysis of heterogeneous data

As heterogeneous data from different sources are being increasingly linked, it becomes difficult for users to understand how the data are connected, to identify what means are suitable to analyze a given data set, or to find out how to proceed for a given analysis task. We target this challenge with a new model-driven design process that effectively codesigns aspects of data, view, analytics, and tasks. We achieve this by using the workflow of the analysis task as a trajectory through data, interactive views, and analytical processes. The benefits for the analysis session go well beyond the pure selection of appropriate data sets and range from providing orientation or even guidance along a preferred analysis path to a potential overall speedup, allowing data to be fetched ahead of time. We illustrate the design process for a biomedical use case that aims at determining a treatment plan for cancer patients from the visual analysis of a large, heterogeneous clinical data pool. As an example for how to apply the comprehensive design approach, we present Stack'n'flip, a sample implementation which tightly integrates visualizations of the actual data with a map of available data sets, views, and tasks, thus capturing and communicating the analytical workflow through the required data sets.     

Härteprofile als Hinweis auf verschiedene Festigkeitssysteme im Holz

1. Sandblasting of hardwood and softwood cross-sections reveals unexpected hardness profiles, which may provide an extension to the conventional division of wood into annual rings, earlywood and latewood or zones of growth.
2. Hard wooden parts which occur in cross-sections and which presumably contribute towards its strength, can also be traced in longitudinal cuts in the form of ridges.
3. It is assumed that tree species build up different mechanical systems which can be varied during wood formation as the need arises.

     

X-ray Fluorescence Uptake Measurement of Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles in Tumor Cell Microsamples

Quantitative cellular in vitro nanoparticle uptake measurements are possible with a large number of different techniques, however, all have their respective restrictions. Here, we demonstrate the application of synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI) on prostate tumor cells, which have internalized differently functionalized gold nanoparticles. Total nanoparticle uptake on the order of a few hundred picograms could be conveniently observed with microsamples consisting of only a few hundreds of cells. A comparison with mass spectroscopy quantification is provided, experimental results are both supported and sensitivity limits of this XFI approach extrapolated by Monte-Carlo simulations, yielding a minimum detectable nanoparticle mass of just 5 pg. This study demonstrates the high sensitivity level of XFI, allowing non-destructive uptake measurements with very small microsamples within just seconds of irradiation time.     

Biosynthesis and identification of volatiles released by the myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca

The volatiles released by agar plate cultures of two strains of the myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca (strains Sg a15 and DW4/3-1) were collected in a closed-loop stripping apparatus (CLSA) and analyzed by GC-MS. Large numbers of substances from different compound classes (ketones, esters, lactones, terpenes, and sulfur and nitrogen compounds) were identified; several of them are reported from natural sources for the first time. The volatiles 2-methyltridecan-4-one (17), its isomer 3-methyltridecan-4-one (20), and the higher homologue 2-methyltetradecan-4-one (18) were identified in the extracts of both strains and were synthesized. In addition, strain Sg a15 produced 2,12-dimethyltridecan-4-one (19), 2-methyltridec-2-en-4-one (23), and a series of phenyl ketones, among them 1-phenyldecan-1-one (14) and 9-methyl-1-phenyldecan-1-one (16), whereas strain DW4/3-1 emitted traces of 10-methylundecan-2-one (21). The biosynthesis of 14 and 16 was examined in feeding experiments with deuterated precursors carried out on agar plate cultures. The leucine-derived starter unit isovalerate was shown to be incorporated into 16, as was phenylalanine-derived benzoic acid into both 14 and 16. The results point to formation both of the phenyl ketones and of the structurally related aliphatic ketones through an unusual head-to-head coupling between a starter unit such as benzoyl-CoA and a fatty acyl-CoA, followed by decarboxylation.     

An ionene with spirane structure (spiroionene)

The secondary diamine 1,3,5,7-tetrahydro[1,2c:4,5c'] benzodipyrrole (3) and 1,2,4,5-tetrabromomethylbenzene (1) form a polymeric ionene with spirane structure through a repetitive alkylation reaction. The structure of the product could be proven by¹³C-NMR spectroscopy by comparison with suitable reference compounds. Solutions in aqueous methanol exhibit a typical polyelectrolyte effect. Variation of the counterions produces sufficient solubility in organic solvents. From the crystal structure of a similar model compound one can conclude that the synthesized polymer has a rod-like shape.     

Catalytic hydrogenation of nitrile rubber using palladium and ruthenium complexes

The catalytic hydrogenation of acrylonitrile‐butadiene copolymer (nitrile rubber, NBR) using Pd(OAc)₂ or RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ catalysts has been investigated in order to produce a totally saturated nitrile rubber. The hydrogenation of NBR is effective with both catalysts and achieved total conversion under the appropriate reaction conditions. In the case of palladium the effects of reaction parameters such as reaction temperature, pressure, time, catalyst concentration, and NBR concentration have been investigated. Even though both ruthenium‐ and palladium‐based catalysts are effective in the production of HNBR, the former requires harsh reaction conditions and has the drawback of gel formation under high conversion, motivating the migration to RuCl₂ (PPh₃)₃ as an alternative catalyst. The degree of hydrogenation was determined by IR and NMR spectroscopy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Composition of the silk lipids of the spider Nephila clavipes

A detailed analysis of the lipids of spider silk is given for the first time. Extracts of the silk from the golden orb weaver, Nephila clavipes, were studied by gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and chemical derivatizations. The major group of the lipids consisted of methyl-branched 1-methoxyalkanes (methyl ethers) with up to four methyl groups in the chain (chain length between C₂₈ and C₃₄), which are unique to spiders. The position of the methyl branches was determined by conversion into cyanides, which allowed easy location of methyl branches. The second-largest group included alkanes with a wide structural variety; 2-methyl-branched, even-numbered hydrocarbons predominated. A general numerical method for the estimation of retention indices of alkanes and their derivatives is presented. Further components of the web included alkanols and alkanediols, fatty acids, and glyceryl ethers. Some comments on the biosynthesis of these compounds are also given.