On the mechanisms of adenosine induced pulmonary vasoconstriction in rats

The effect of adenosine on pulmonary vessels was studied in isolated perfused rat lungs. Drugs were administered intra-arterially in a fixed volume of 0.1 ml Krebs solution as bolus injections. Adenosine responses were obtained before and 10 min after drug injections. When applied in logarithmically increasing doses (1-100 micrograms/ml), adenosine caused dose-dependent increases in pulmonary perfusion pressure (e.g. pulmonary vasoconstriction) which were readily reversible. Challenging adenosine with quinidine, dihydroergocristine and cyproheptadine (2 micrograms/ml each) did not significantly alter adenosine responses. Pretreatment of lungs with 0.5 mM theophylline, 10 micrograms/ml indomethacin, 30 micrograms/ml tebokan (a PAF antagonist) or 1 microgram/ml methylene blue for 10 min, however, antagonized the vasoconstrictor effect of the drug significantly. From these experiments, it was concluded that the mechanisms underlying the pulmonary vasoconstrictor action of adenosine are complex, and that both types of purinoceptors, prostaglandins, PAF and other vascular endothelial hormones might be involved.     

Algorithmen zur Pulsweitenmodulation für Wechselrichter mit in Echtzeit berechnetem Pulsmuster

Übersicht Mit Hinblick auf die zunehmend Verbreitung findende Pulsmusterberechnung in Echtzeit werden in dem Aufsatz Gesichtspunkte diskutiert, die sich aus den Eigenschaften des leistungselektronischen Stellgliedes, des Pulswechselrichters, ergeben. Die bei Abtastregelungen für die Dauer einer Abtastperiode konstante Stellgröße muß bei ihm durch Pulsweitenmodulation in ein Pulsmuster mit konstanter Amplitude und Pulsen variabler Breite umgesetzt werden. Durch ein neues Verfahren mit versetzter Abtastung haben dabei Rechentotzeiten bis zur Dauer einer halben Abtastperiode keinen Einfluß mehr auf das Pulsmuster.

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Algorithms for pulswidth modulation of inverters with online calculated pulse patterns

Contents Online calculation of pulse patterns will be employed more intensively in the future. Aspects concerning the powereleotronic circuit, the pulsewidth-modulated inverter, are to be discussed. The set value being constant for the duration of a sampling interval, has to be converted by a modulation algorithm into a pulse pattern with constant amplitude and pulses of variable width. Calculation dead-times up to half of sampling interval have no influence on the pulse pattern when using a new algorthm with shifted sampling instants.

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Herrn Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klemens Heumann zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet     

Thermochemical investigation of binary liquid mixtures in glass-forming oxide systems

Methods and equipment successfully employed in high- temperature calorimetry to measure partial and integral enthalpies of mixing in liquid oxide systems are reviewed with special attention given to the drop-mixing method. This technique has been used to measure enthalpies of mixing in binary liq-uid mixtures composed of network forming oxides (e.g. SiO₂) and network modifying oxides (e.g. Na₂O). Results for the systems Na₂O-SiO₂ and Na₂O- B₂O₃ are presented graphically. Entropies of mixing were estimated by combining enthalpies with available data on Gibbs energies of mixing. Prominent thermochemical features of glass-forming oxide melts are pointed out. The observed thermodynamic behavior is discussed in relation to its structural basis.     

Menstrual cycle and age: influence on parenchymal contrast medium enhancement in MR imaging of the breast

PURPOSE: To quantify how frequently mesenteric adenitis clinically mimics appendicitis and to determine its appearance at computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 651 consecutive patients with an admission diagnosis of appendicitis were reviewed to determine how often mesenteric adenitis was the discharge diagnosis. The CT scans of a separate group of 18 patients with a discharge diagnosis of mesenteric adenitis were reviewed. These patients were part of a group of 100 consecutive patients prospectively evaluated with CT of the appendix for clinically suspected appendicitis. RESULTS: Fifty of 651 patients (7.7%) with an admission diagnosis of appendicitis had a discharge diagnosis of mesenteric adenitis. Mesenteric adenitis constituted 50 of the 252 (19.8%) discharge diagnoses other than appendicitis. All 18 CT scans of mesenteric adenitis showed three or more nodes that measured at least 5 mm in shortest axis clustered in the right lower quadrant, with a normal appendix identified. Eight patients had associated ileal or ileocecal wall thickening. CONCLUSION: Mesenteric adenitis is an important clinical mimic of appendicitis. It appears at CT as clustered, enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes with a normal appendix, and there may be associated ileitis or ileocolitis noted.     

Films and fibers of oriented single wall nanotubes

As-produced nanotubes form a light, fragile and isotropic soot. Different efforts are made to process nanotubes into macroscopic forms of more practical use and more controlled properties. We briefly review in this paper two methods recently proposed to make films of magnetically aligned nanotubes and fibers by using an electrophoretic method. Preferential orientation of the nanotubes in the plane of the films or along the fiber axis is an important feature of the obtained materials. Then we describe in details a different, spinning like, process for making fibers out of single wall carbon nanotubes. This process consists of dispersing the nanotubes in a surfactant solution, re-condensing the nanotubes in the flow of a polymer solution to form a nanotube mesh, and then collating this mesh to a nanotube fiber. The behaviors of the surfactant-stabilized dispersions, which are also presented, are critical for this process. The degree of nanotubes alignment in dried fibers has been characterized by X-ray scattering. It is found to be smaller than the alignment obtained in the previous materials. However, the processing is simpler and faster and potentially scalable for large-scale production.     

On the oxygen deficiency of high-T c Y1Ba2Cu3O7-µ ceramics

The role of oxygen deficiency in Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_{7 ? μ} ceramics has been investigated by differential thermal analysis (DTA), differential thermogravimetry (DTG), linear thermal expansion (LTE), and by soft x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (SXFS). The interdependence of the measured parameters and some of the stability criteria are discussed.     

Radio-oncologic therapeutic strategy in curative treatment of non-small-cell bronchial carcinoma

Radiotherapy is an important modality in the postoperative and primary treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Treatment results are rather unsatisfactory and have not basically changed in the past 15-20 years. In the nearer past, new treatment strategies were developed, which may contribute to a substantial improvement of the poor prognosis. On one hand, novel fractionation schedules using hyperfractionated accelerated radiation show promising results by improving local control. On the other hand, the main interest of many groups is focussed on a combined modality treatment using radiotherapy plus neoadjuvant or concurrent chemotherapy and surgery. There are numerous reports in the literature which document an advantage in survival of combined modalities over radiotherapy alone with improvements concerning local control as well as distant spread. The bases of the encouraging results is the use of a simultaneous or sequential combination of cisplatin-containing chemotherapy and high dose radiation. The following article reviews the relevant data from the literature with main emphasis on radiochemotherapy regimens.     

On the Direct Addition of Amine N–H to Ch≡C Triple Bonds with Late Transition Metal Catalysts

The kinetics of the transition metal-catalysed direct addition of amine NH bonds to carbon--carbon multiple bonds (hydroamination) has been explored by in situ spectroscopic techniques. From an open mass balance it was concluded that an intermediate species was formed during the cyclisation of 6-aminohex-1-yne. This species was identified as the enamine 2-methylene-piperidine, which is the primary hydroamination product.