A short-term test using DDAVP for determination of the renal concentration capacity (author's transl)

A short-term test to determine renal concentrating ability without any water deprivation has been described. It consists of osmolatity determinations in three onehour urine portions from spontaneous voidings following an intranasal application of 7 microng of the synthetic analogue of vasopressin-DDAVP per 0,5 m2 body surface. The values of maximal urine osmalatity over 900 mosm/Kg H2O following DDAVP are considered normal whereas values under 600 mosm are consistent with impaired renal function. If, however, the maximal urine osmolality is in the so called "uncertain range" i.e. from 600 to 900 mosm, it is advisable to perform in the same patients also the classical concentration test based on a prolonged dehydration (26 h).     

Hermite approximation for free-form deformation of curves and surfaces

Free-Form Deformation Techniques (FFD) are commonly used to generate animations, where a polygonal approximation of the final object suffices for visualization purposes. However, for some CAD/CAM applications, we need an explicit expression of the object, rather than a collection of sampled points. If both object and deformation are polynomial, their composition yields a result that is also polynomial, albeit very high degree, something undesirable in real applications. To solve this problem, we transform each curve or surface composing the object, usually expressed in the Bernstein basis, to a modified Newton form. In this representation, the two-point analogue of Taylor expansions, the composition admits a simple expression in terms of discrete convolutions, and degree reduction corresponding to Hermite approximation is trivial by dropping high-degree coefficients. Furthermore, degree-reduction can be incorporated into the composition. Finally, the deformed curve or surface is converted back to the Bernstein form. This method extends to general non-polynomial deformation, such as bending and twisting, by computing a polynomial approximant of the deformation.     

Combined radiometric and electrochemical study of the behaviour of Tc (vii) ions at gold and platinized surfaces in acidic media

The sorption and deposition of technetium species formed from TcO ₄ ^– at gold and platinized surfaces was followed by a coupledin situ radiometric and electrochemical technique. It was found: (i) that a layer of TcO₂ species is formed preceding the massive deposition of technetium species, and (ii) that the deposition process is not connected with hydrogen evolution or reaction with adsorbed hydrogen as has been assumed in the literature. An important new finding, the electrocatalytic reduction of ClO₄ ions at surfaces covered by technetium species, was demonstrated on the basis of a comparative study of the phenomena observed in H₂SO₄ and HClO₄ supporting electrolytes.This paper is dedicated to Professor Brian E. Conway on the occasion of his 65th birthday, and in recognition of his outstanding contribution to electrochemisty.     

Cristallogenese du 4-dimethylamino β-nitrostyrene

Single crystals of 4-dimethylamino β-nitrostyrene (DMNS) were grown from solution by a falling temperature technique. Growth conditions are given. The quality of crystals obtained was studied by X-ray diffraction methods.

$\text{DMNS : orthorhombic - class mmm - space group : Pcab}\text{a : b : c = 7,3 : 10,15 : 25,10}\text{A}\text{?}\text{Z=8}$

     

Complete structure of glycopeptides isolated from IgG immunoglobulins of cow colostrum

Bovine immunoglobulins (IgG1 type) have been isolated from colostral whey. Hydrolysis by pronase, trypsin and (or) chymotrypsin yield several glycopeptides structural studies of which lead to the following results. 1. IgG1 colostral immunoglobulins possess two glycan moieties which are linked to the peptidic chain by an N-(beta-aspartyl)-N-acetylglucosaminylamine bound. 2. The peptidic sequence around the linkage region has been determined by classical methods and is as follows: Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Glu-Glu-Gln-Phe-Asn(Glycan)-Ser-Thr-Tyr-Arg. 3. The following procedures: partial acidic hydrolysis, periodic oxidation, hydrazinolysis-nitrous deamination, methylation and use of specific glycosidases allowed us to determine the structure of the glycan moieties which fit with the general following scheme: (see article) Thus they could be related to the general glycan structure so-called of "N-acetyllactosamine type" because they possess the pentasaccharidic core common to numerous glycoproteins Man alpha 1 leads to [Man alpha 1 leads to 6] Man beta 1 leads to 4 GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4 GlcNAc beta 1 leads to Asn on which are conjugated 2 N-acetyllactosamine residues. Besides they present a microheterogeneity which is due to the varying number of additional N-acetylneuraminic acid and fucose residues. 4. These structures are compared to various immunoglobulin structures proposed by others: bovine serum IgG and human serum IgG, IgE and IgA.     

IDR/UPM facilities for liquid bridge experimentation on Earth under microgravity conditions

Besides space laboratories for in-orbit experimentation, Earth based facilities for laboratory experimentation are of paramount importance for the enhancement on liquid bridge knowledge. In spite of the constraints imposed by simulated microgravity (which force to work either with very small size liquid bridges or by using the Plateau tank technique, amongst other techniques), the availability and accessibility of Earth facilities can circumvent in many cases the drawbacks associated with simulated microgravity conditions. To support theoretical and in orbit experimental studies on liquid bridges under reduced gravity conditions, several ground facilities were developed at IDR. In the following these ground facilities are briefly described, and main results obtained by using them are cited.