Multispectral fluorescence lifetime imaging by TCSPC

We present a fluorescence lifetime imaging technique with simultaneous spectral and temporal resolution. The technique is fully compatible with the commonly used multiphoton microscopes and nondescanned (direct) detection. An image of the back-aperture of the microscope lens is projected on the input of a fiber bundle. The input of the fiber bundle is circular, and the output is flattened to match the input slit of a spectrograph. The spectrum at the output of the spectrograph is projected on a 16-anode PMT module. For each detected photon, the encoding logics of the PMT module deliver a timing pulse and the number of the PMT channel in which the photon was detected. The photons are accumulated by a multidimensional time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) process. The recording process builds up a four-dimensional photon distribution over the times of the photons in the excitation pulse period, the wavelengths of the photons, and the coordinates of the scan area. The method delivers a near-ideal counting efficiency and is capable of resolving double-exponential decay functions. We demonstrate the performance of the technique for autofluorescence imaging of tissue.     

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Crystallizable Fragment of IgG1—Insights for the Design of Fcabs

An interesting format in the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies uses the crystallizable fragment of IgG1 as starting scaffold. Engineering of its structural loops allows generation of an antigen binding site. However, this might impair the molecule’s conformational stability, which can be overcome by introducing stabilizing point mutations in the CH3 domains. These point mutations often affect the stability and unfolding behavior of both the CH2 and CH3 domains. In order to understand this cross-talk, molecular dynamics simulations of the domains of the Fc fragment of human IgG1 are reported. The structure of human IgG1-Fc obtained from X-ray crystallography is used as a starting point for simulations of the wild-type protein at two different pH values. The stabilizing effect of a single point mutation in the CH3 domain as well as the impact of the hinge region and the glycan tree structure connected to the CH2 domains is investigated. Regions of high local flexibility were identified as potential sites for engineering antigen binding sites. Obtained data are discussed with respect to the available X-ray structure of IgG1-Fc, directed evolution approaches that screen for stability and use of the scaffold IgG1-Fc in the design of antigen binding Fc proteins.     

Effect of catalyst residues on the chain structure and properties of a Phillips type polyethylen

A large number of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) powder samples produced by Phillips technology were taken from an industrial polymerization reactor and their catalyst residue content was determined by X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The chemical structure of the powder was characterized by diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIFT), while the functional group content of samples processed in the presence and absence of a phenolic antioxidant was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The melt flow index (MFI) of all processed samples was measured. Oxygen induction time (OIT) measurements were carried out to characterize the oxidative stability of 15 selected stabilized samples. The results indicate that the distribution of both the amount of chromium‐based catalyst residues and their composition are very heterogeneous in the produced polymer. With increasing catalyst residue content, the concentration of double bonds increases in the samples extruded with or without stabilizer. Viscosity was not influenced by catalyst residues, while discoloration increased slightly with increasing catalyst residue content. The stability of the processed polymer also depends on the concentration of double bonds and on other factors. Since other components of the catalyst, including the SiO₂ support, also take part in the reactions occurring during processing, chromium content is not the sole, and perhaps not even the decisive, factor determining the properties and especially the stability of HDPE produced by a Phillips catalyst.     

Solubility of Natural Gas in Diesel Fuel

The solubility of commercially available natural gas in commercially available diesel fuel at room temperature and defined pressure is investigated experimentally. The gas phase is considered to be pure methane. The use of Henry's law to model the solubility is discussed. Solubility is given in terms of the mole fraction and the volumetric mass concentration of dissolved gas and the corresponding Henry's coefficients. The solubility is compared to that of pure methane in pure hexadecane, which is similar to diesel fuel with respect to the mean carbon number.     

Fracture resistance of a doped PZT ceramic for multilayer piezoelectric actuators: Effect of mechanical load and temperature

The fracture resistance behaviour of a doped lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic after combined thermo-mechanical loading is investigated between room temperature (RT) and 400 °C, i.e. above the Curie temperature (T_C). The thermal- and stress-induced depolarisation effects due to domain switching have been assessed by the indentation method on bulk PZTs. This has been extended to multilayered actuators. Experimental findings show a depolarisation effect with the temperature, which is significantly enhanced when combined with mechanical loading. This partial or even full depolarisation of the PZT material below T_C leads to important anisotropy effects in the fracture resistance of the piezo-ceramic, which should be taking into account in the design of multilayer actuators where the direction of crack propagation (i.e. parallel or normal to electrodes) can affect the actuator functionality.     

Defect Chemistry and Microstructure of Hydrothermal Barium Titanate

Hydrothermal powders of BaTiO₃ and (Ba,Ca)(Ti,Zr)O₃ contain large amounts of protons in the oxygen sublattice. The proton defects are compensated by vacancies on metal sites. When the powder is annealed, water is released and the point defects disappear in the temperature range of 100°–600°C. Metal and oxygen vacancies combine to small nanometer-sized intragranular pores. At temperatures of >800°C, the intragranular pores migrate to the grain boundaries and disappear. In multilayer ceramic capacitors that have been prepared from hydrothermal powders, the intragranular pores are preferentially collected at the inner electrodes, which results in bloating, cracks, and delamination.     

Robocast zirconia-toughened alumina scaffolds: Processing,structural characterisation and interaction with human primary osteoblasts

Zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) is the gold-standard ceramic in hip arthroplasty, but still lacks direct osseointegration and a metal shell, often coated with a bioactive layer, is currently required. The latter could potentially be replaced by a thinner, architectured ZTA layer, thereby allowing for larger acetabular components, with larger range of motion and lower dislocation risk. Robocasting may be an adequate technique to fabricate the architectured layer. Therefore, as a first step, this study aimed to produce ZTA scaffolds (3D-ZTA) by robocasting and assess their in vitro response. Shape retention was achieved by using a stable, well-dispersed, high solid loading ink injected in acid pH waterbath. 3D-ZTA exhibit regularly spaced microporous, rough struts and fully interconnected macroporosity. Human primary osteoblasts were homogenously distributed inside 3D-ZTA and showed increased osteogenic marker expression compared to 2D-ZTA control. Further work will focus on optimizing scaffold design to improve cell retention and extracellular matrix maturation.     

Das Problem der verantworteten Therapieentscheidung in der Neonatologie

Definition of the problem: Physicians and nurses who work in neonatology—as in intensive care at all—are often forced to decide whether to stop or to continue with the treatment of a severely ill patient. The literature provides several decision making instruments, which are meant to help and to rationalize such decisions. Method and conclusion: Two of these instruments (“Schema zur ethischen Urteilsbildung nach dem Muster der aristotelischen Ethik”, Honnefelder 1994; “Nimwegener Methode für ethische Fallbesprechung”, Gordijn 1998) were tested by retrospectively examining two cases of our NICU. Results of our study show that the use of a decision making instrument is basically helpful. But the above mentioned instruments showed also shortcomings when used in the framework of neonatology. Therefore we developed the “Kölner Arbeitsbogen zur ethischen Entscheidungsfindung in der Neonatologie”, which is adapted to the specific needs of neonatology.     

Spatially resolved positron annihilation spectroscopy on friction stir weld induced defects

A friction stir welded (FSW) Al alloy sample was investigated by Doppler broadening spectroscopy (DBS) of the positron annihilation line. The spatially resolved defect distribution showed that the material in the joint zone becomes completely annealed during the welding process at the shoulder of the FSW tool, whereas at the tip, annealing is prevailed by the deterioration of the material due to the tool movement. This might be responsible for the increased probability of cracking in the heat affected zone of friction stir welds. Examination of a material pairing of steel S235 and the Al alloy Silafont36 by coincident Doppler broadening spectroscopy (CDBS) indicates the formation of annealed steel clusters in the Al alloy component of the sample. The clear visibility of Fe in the CDB spectra is explained by the very efficient trapping at the interface between steel cluster and bulk.