A trial with diclofenac HEP plaster as topical treatment in minor sport injuries

Diclofenac HEP plaster was tested in an open study in the treatment of different traumatic sport and overload injuries, to confirm the results of efficacy and tolerability already shown in other clinical studies. A total of 101 patients were assigned to treatment and were eligible for the evaluation of results at the end of a 14-day treatment period. The average score of spontaneous pain, assessed by means of a verbal scale and a visual analogical scale, showed a clear difference in pain rating between the beginning and end of treatment. In general 60% pain reduction was observed. The difference in analgesic activity was already apparent on the 7th day of treatment (-28%). The reduction of pain was confirmed by changes in another subjective sign related to the injury: provoked pain. This symptom decreased in a manner comparable to spontaneous pain: 61% pain reduction after 2 weeks of treatment. Global assessment of efficacy, performed by the investigator at the end of treatment, showed the clear therapeutic activity of local treatment with diclofenac HEP plaster. Satisfactory results were obtained and only 18% of the patients (most of them with chronic and persistent pain) experienced ineffective pain relief at the end of the 2-week treatment. The beneficial effects of diclofenac HEP plaster on pain are confirmed by the patients' assessment, since almost identical scores were obtained. It is striking that the overall tolerance of diclofenac HEP plaster, applied topically twice a day for 2 weeks, was "good" or "excellent" in the 101 patients treated. Any side effect was reported on the patient's card and all the patients completed the study.     

The metabolism of fenazox in tomato plants

Results from investigations on the metabolism of 14C-Fenazox show that in 6-8 weeks old tomato-plants (sort "Harzfeuer") the agent undergoes a biotransformation. After chromatographic separation the structure of the biotransformation products was elucidated by comparison to authentic test substances, by derivatization as well as by means of physico-chemical methods. With that, the following metabolites were identified: non-transformed Fenazox, o-hydroxyazobenzene, o-hydroxyaniline, and p-hydroxyaniline. Probably, the agent is first transformed enzymatically or non-enzymatically into o-hydroxyazobenzene, then follows a reductive cleavage into o-hydroxyaniline and aniline. In its turn, the latter is transformed into o-hydroxy- and p-hydroxyaniline. Experiments in the field of transformation kinetics indicated that the concentration of the applied Fenazox rapidly decreases and that the first transformation product o-hydroxyazobenzene in the beginning increases and then again decreases in its concentration. With increasing application time it comes to an increase of the non-extractable residues.     

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Dural tension and skull growth (author's transl)

By means of animal experiments on rabbits the significance of dural tension in relation to skull growth is emphasised. Our findings support our "new points of view on the pathology and therapy of craniosynostosis", previously published in this journal.     

Microanalytical investigation of sintered SiC

UHV-fracture surfaces of different (B, C)- and (Al, C)-doped pressureless sintered SiC materials are investigated by using high resolution Auger electron spectroscopy (HRAES). The grain boundaries at intergranular fractured regions of (B, C)-doped materials are evidently free of any enrichment of impurity elements or sintering additives. In contrast, the (Al, C)-doped materials reveal the existence of thin Al-containing grain boundary films. Sputtering indicates their thickness to be less than 1 nm. The concentrations of the elements segregated in the grain boundary films are determined.     

Practice of computer use in radiotherapy planning

The main problems of radiotherapy planning are discussed with respect to use of computers now being available for a greater number of centers. One of the most essential premises is apart from clear ideas on a modern target volume concept - a sufficiently high speed in producing realistic summarized isodose contours for any radiation therapy arrangement in any individual patient's cross section outline. This problem being solved, those individual summarized isodose figures have to be critically evaluated and therefore the importance of applicable meaningful optimization criteria come into account. The properties of such criteria, which must be quantifiable, generally applicable and really relevant for judgement on quality of a plan, had to be accepted, before automatic optimization procedures could be developed; principles involved are presented. By means of a short series of examples, namely 60Co fixed field combinations with and without use of wedges, combinations of arc therapy for a number of clinical tasks. It has been pointed out, that most experienced estimate by the eye would have been by far insufficient when compared to the automized computer optimization when using such simple criteria as 1. homogeneity of absorbed dose within target volume, 2. numerically limited absorbed dose within areas of risk, 3. as low as possible radiation effects to all "outside areas". It seems to be a real danger, that so called isodose libraries, how high their merits might be estimated, may change into an "isodose bcemetery", unless we'll be successful for each individual clinical case by use of computers, which are now prepared to supply the best possible variant of the standard plan or the primary radiotherapy idea. Regular use of computers in such a way will furthermore give an incomparable documentation material.     

Total hip replacement with isoelastic prosthesis in animals (author's transl)

Uncemented fixation and low-fraction materials are the basis of this experiment. Plastics with an elasticity similar to the bone ("isoelasticity") show very propitious material qualities. The direct cementless incorporation of test bodies must be checked. In 63 sheep isoelastic total hip joints were implanted. After 2 till 51 weeks the animals were sacrificed and 44 specimen of hips and organs were explored macroscopically, radiologically, spherimetrically and histologically. The result was: 1. Plastic hip prosthesis are incorporated in the bone, but the boundary layer is built by a collagenous fiber tissue. 2. Loosening brings resoption of the bone and expansion of the structural changed soft tissue. 3. The transformation of the femoral cortex to osteoporosis is considered possibly as the consequence of an insufficient biological transfer of the weight. 4. Fractures of the femoral prosthesis-stem could not be observed. 5. The radiology allows at the pelvis prosthesis a concret statement concerning stability, on the femoral part a probable one. 6. The abrasion is minimal, the tissue reaction to abrasion products is unessential. 7. Small abrasion particles are carried of by the lymph tract and stored in the first regional gland. A more distant spreading is not demonstrable.     

Safety on ladders: an ergonomic design approach

By studying the interactions between the user and a ladder or steps, with different shaped rungs, the author determines a preferred rung shape for improved ladder safety.     

Cracking in and around the thermally grown oxide in thermal barrier coatings: A comparison of isothermal and cyclic oxidation

In the present paper the time and temperature dependent evolution of the microstructure of TBC systems and especially of post-experimentally determined physical defects in and around the TGO for both isothermal and cyclic exposure conditions are investigated. Specimens with APS- as well as with PVD-topcoats have been oxidised between 950 and 1100°C up to a maximum duration of 5000 h followed by extensive scanning electron microscopy and subsequent interactive image analysis to measure the maximum crack lengths in and around the TGO. These cracks are additionally classified with respect to their local orientation in the TGO or its vicinity. The results of isothermal and cyclic test conditions show a number of similarities in results e.g. an unsystematic occurrence of inwardly growing, “cauliflower like” oxide or the most frequently occurring type of cracks in APS systems. Nevertheless substantial differences concerning the final failure, microstructure, crack growth behaviour and finally life time of the component between isothermal and cyclic test conditions exist. Some indications were found, that for this particular bond coat occurance of inwardly growing oxide intrusions increases the adherence of the TGO.