Analysis of triacylglycerols by silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Triacylglycerols of the seed oils rich in α- and/or γ-linolenic acid moieties were separated by silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) followed by on-line atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometric (APCI-MS) detection. Mass spectra of most triacylglycerols exhibited abundant [M + H]⁺ and [M − RCO₂]⁺ ions, which defined the molecular weight and the molecular association of fatty acyl residues of a triacylglycerol, respectively. Silver ions formed weaker complexes with triacylglycerols containing γ-linolenic acid than with those containing α-linolenic acid, i.e., the elution order of molecules wasXYT _γ>XYT _α’,XT _γ T _α>XT _α T _α>, andT _γ T _γ T _γ>T _γ T _γ T _α>T _γ T _α T _α>T _α T _α T _α, whereT _α=α-linolenic acid,T _γ=γ-linolenic acid, andX, Y=fatty acids different from linolenic acid. Furthermore, silver-ion HPLC resulted in partial separation within equally unsaturated triacylglycerols according to differences in the combined number of acyl carbons. Regioisomeric forms of triacylglycerols were not determined from the seed oil samples, although differences were measured with reference compounds in the relative abundances of [M − RCO₂]⁺ ions formed by a loss of a fatty acyl residue from thesn-2 position and thesn-1/3 positions. Silverion HPLC/APCI-MS provided valuable information for structure elucidation of seed oil triacylglycerols: 43 molecular species were identified from cloudberry seed oil, 39 from evening primrose oil, 79 from borage oil, 44 from alpine currant, and 56 from black currant seed oils. The quantitation requires to be studied further, especially in those cases where several molecular weight species of triacylglycerols eluted in a single chromatographic peak.     

Zero-sound attenuation in rotating and stationary3He-A and3He-B

We report on measurements of zero-sound attenuation in rotating and stationary³He-A and³He-B, in magnetic fields up to 350 mT. Strong and highly nonlinear rotation speed dependencies of sound amplitudes have been observed in both phases. The data gives information on vortex types and core sizes, although the analysis is not straightforward. The anomalous attenuation in³He-B at 200 mT near the AB transition, both in the stationary and in the rotating state, is interpreted to arise from the distortion of the energy gap of the B phase. Excess attenuation during the AB phase change was observed. Evidence for soft vortex cores in³He-B is presented. In addition, a critical velocity in the vortex free state, related to a textural transition, and the vortex creation times have been measured in³He-B. Furthermore, a metastable structure, possibly a new vortex state, has been observed in³He-B by rotating the sample through the A B transition.     

Extended bisection method for parameter identification of the transient heat conduction equation for thermo-elastic deformations during drilling

A new interdisciplinary approach is discribed to identifying unknown parameters using an extended version of the known interval bisection method. This developed method is based on the use of finite elements for calibrating the simulation calculation. The resulting thermo-elastic deformations which occur in drilling processes with impaired cooling lubrication are to be used as correction values for tool positioning in the NC control. Based on the strong impact on workpiece temperature of machining, a simulation approach is presented for calculating the temperature fields and their thermo-elastic consequences. In addition, methods are presented to correct these effects. This paper particularly deals with the temperature fields of drilling operations. Special attention is paid to the technique employed for iterative numerical determination of the unknown heat flux η _w and heat transfer coefficient \(\bar {\gamma }\) values. Finally, the data obtained from experiments are compared with those achieved by numerical simulation in order to verify the efficiency of simulation and determination of parameters.     

Ethik-Cafés in der geriatrischen Langzeitpflege: halten sie,was sie versprechen?

Definition of the problem Ethics cafés in long-term geriatric care are considered as ethical education. They allow the participants to have an open discourse in a casual setting about moral issues related to daily work. In the literature, various characteristics are attributed to ethics cafés, e.g., improving analytical skills and communication, increasing ethical sensitivity and authority for making decisions. These characteristics primarily result from theory-based models. Arguments The goal of this study is the empirical investigation of the effectiveness of ethics cafés in the Nursing Homes Mattenhof–Irchelpark, Zurich. Furthermore, the study examined whether the subjective evaluation of characteristics of nurses and other professional groups are different. To capture the characteristics, a questionnaire was constructed in which the participants rated 16 statements during the survey period. A 5-point Likert scale was used for the analysis. One subgroup distinguished between “nursing staff” and “non-nursing staff”. Conclusion The postulated characteristics were confirmed with a very high approval. Therefore, the ethics cafés provide important input which enable the staff to analyze more clearly in difficult situations or to let them decide ethically in a more sensitive manner and to justify decisions made. The interdisciplinary approach supports an understanding of the views and arguments among the various areas and hierarchies. The differences between the two professionals groups are partially highly significant. It can be noted that the assigned characteristics in the questionnaire are generally perceived stronger and more significantly by the nursing staff. Therefore, a distinction must be made when interpreting the results of this study concerning the participants.     

Ärztliche Verantwortung gegenüber Palliativpatienten unter dem neuen Paradigma der Kundenorientierung

Definition of the problem

Establishing a good physician–patient relationship based on mutual trust and professional responsibility is a central element in physicians’ professionalism. Recently, however, there has been considerable debate in the field of medical ethics regarding trends toward an economic approach to medicine, which could potentially undermine healthy doctor–patient relationships. Part of this economic approach to medicine involves viewing the patient as an autonomous customer. But what does the customer role mean for vulnerable patients who are restricted in their autonomy and what effect does it have on the physician–patient relationship?

Arguments

In the following article, we pursue the question whether the physicians’ responsibility and the physician–patient relationship change when the (vulnerable) patient attributes the customer role to him-/herself. The study was conducted within the field of palliative care because terminally ill patients represent an especially vulnerable patient population. We base our argumentation in this article on the results of a qualitative interview study that investigated terminally ill patients’ attitudes regarding the topic “the patient as customer” as well as autonomy and decision-making.

Conclusion

The interview results show that autonomy must be understood in relational terms; furthermore, the analysis of the interviews indicates that the physician plays a crucial role in enabling the patient’s autonomy, regardless of whether patients view themselves as a patient or a customer. Subsequently, we deliberate whether the patients’ statements point to potential changes in the doctor–patient relationship and physicians’ responsibility towards patients. Based on these findings, practical implications for the doctor–patient relationship are considered in regard to the “Ethics of Care”, emphasizing the need for an individualized approach to working with patients, especially those with particularly vulnerable conditions.     

Hydroisomerization of Renewable and Fossil n-Alkanes over Bifunctional Dealuminated ZSM-5 Catalysts

The hydroisomerization of two long-chain n-alkane mixtures was investigated over bifunctional Pt/H-ZSM-5 catalysts before and after dealumination of preshaped zeolite/binder pellets. The hydroisomerization over the dealuminated catalysts leads to more isomers and less cracking products. Consequently, higher ratios of multi- to mono-branched isomerization products are formed as expected for large- rather than medium-pore zeolites. This indicates a higher availability of space in the vicinity of the active sites and provides an attractive route to make medium-pore zeolites suitable for upgrading higher boiling hydrocarbon feeds.     

The Pupal Parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae Is Attracted to the Same Yeast Volatiles as Its Adult Host

Journal of Chemical Ecology - There is increasing evidence that microorganisms, particularly fungi and bacteria, emit volatile compounds that mediate the foraging behaviour of insects and therefore...     

The biological leaching of an auriferous pyrite ore

The oxidation of an auriferous pyrite ore sample was evaluated in biological leaching experiments for subsequent gold recovery via cyanidation. In batch cultures, organisms derived from the mine site oxidized pyrite and ferrous iron at pH values as low as pH 0.6. The recovery of gold was variable in shake flask experiments. In stirred tank bioreactor leaching, gold recovery was proportional to the extent of iron dissolution by bioleaching. The leaching of arsenic from the sample was also directly proportional to iron dissolution.     

A computational fluid dynamic analysis of gas and particle flow in flame spraying

The flame spraying process, which is a common industrial thermal spraying application, has been analyzed by means of three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The process used at the Volvo Aero Corporation for the coating of fan and compressor housings has been modeled. The process uses the Metco 6P torch (Metco, Westbury, NY), which ejects a mixture of acetylene and oxygen at high speed through a ring of 16 orifices to form the flame. A stream of argon gas flowing through an orifice in the center of the ring carries a powder of nickel-covered bentonite through the flame to the spray substrate. The torch is cooled by a flow of air through an outer ring of 9 orifices. The simulation emulated reality closely by including the individual inlets for fuel, cooling air, and injected particles. The gas combustion was simulated as a turbulent, multicomponent chemically reacting flow. The standard, two-equation k-ε turbulence model was used. The chemical reaction rates appeared as source terms in the species transport equations. They were computed from the contributions of the Arrhenius rate expressions and the Magnussen and Hjertager eddy dissipation model. The first simulations included several intermediate chemical substances whose predicted concentration agreed favorably with measurements. Later, more simplified simulations incorporated only the global chemical reaction involving the initial and the final products, with corrections to the thermal properties being made to account for the missing intermediaries. The gas velocity and temperature fields predicted by the later simulations compared satisfactorily to those predicted by the earlier, more elaborate, ones. Therefore, the final simulations, which incorporated injected particles, were conducted employing the simplified model with only the global reaction. An in-house finite difference code was developed to calculate particle properties. Allowance was made for elliptical shapes, phase changes, and internal heat transfer with regard to the composite material. The particle velocities and temperatures predicted by the final simulations compared fairly well with experimental results obtained with the optical DPV2000 system.