On-line coupling of high-performance liquid chromatography to a continuous-flow enzyme assay based on electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Liquid chromatography (LC) was coupled on-line to a continuous-flow enzymatic assay using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) as readout for the screening of enzyme inhibitors in complex samples. Inhibitors were detected by changes in the concentration of the enzymatic reaction products, indicating the inhibition of enzymatic activity. The molecular masses of the inhibitors were determined with high certainty by using retention time matching and peak shape comparison. Due to the high matching accuracy, baseline separation of coeluting analytes was not necessary in order to identify the correct masses of the bioactive compounds. The continuous-flow system was successfully applied for the screening of complex samples, such as natural extracts. For a red clover extract, detection limits of 0.3-0.8 micromol/L were obtained. System validation was performed by determining the IC(50) values of four inhibitors in the flow-injection mode. The IC(50) values were in the 0.11-5.6 micromol/L range and correspond closely to data obtained by microtiter plate assays. Detection limits were in the range of 0.018-0.35 micromol/L in the flow-injection mode, and 0.075-0.75 micromol/L in the LC mode. These values are well below the typical compound concentrations (1-10 micromol/L) used in high-throughput screening. Together with an interday precision of 12.6%, these results demonstrate the applicability of the system for bioactivity screening of complex mixtures, generating both chemical and biological information on bioactive compounds in a single run.     

Zur bors?urefreien Haltbarmachung von frischen Speisegarnelen und Garnelenfleisch II. Mitteilung

Zusammenfassung Im Hinblick auf das zu erwartende Verbot der bisher zur Konservierung von Speisegarnelen benutzten Borsäure wurden Koch- und Konservierungsversuche mit unbedenklichen Konservierungsmitteln durchgeführt, deren Ergebnisse erkennen lassen, daß im Gegensatz zur Wirkungsweise der Borsäure die untersuchten unbedenklichen Konservierungsmittel nur dann eine ausreichende Wirkung entfalten, wenn sie den Garnelen unmittelbar nach der Kochung zugesetzt werden, wie es nach den z.Z. gültigen Bestimmungen nur bei einer Landkochung geschehen kann.Es wurden deshalb Transportversuche mit lebenden Garnelen angeschlossen, die zeigten, daß die in den kühleren Frühjahrs- und Herbstmonaten gefangenen Garnelen einen 8stündigen Transport ohne besondere Vorkehrungen an Bord der Fangfahrzeuge praktisch verlustfrei lebend überstehen, daß dagegen die in den Sommermonaten aus wärmerem Wasser gefangenen Garnelen schon so ermattet an Bord kommen, daß sie auch beim Transport in einem Kühlbehälter bei 5° C nicht mit Sicherheit zu 100% bis zur Anlandung am Leben gehalten werden können.Weitere Maßnahmen zur borsäurefreien Konservierung und zur Lebenderhaltung der Garnelen während des Transports, die in Versuchen geprüft werden sollen, werden erörtert.     

A versatile wavelet domain noise filtration technique for medical imaging

In this paper, we propose a robust wavelet domain method for noise filtering in medical images. The proposed method adapts itself to various types of image noise as well as to the preference of the medical expert; a single parameter can be used to balance the preservation of (expert-dependent) relevant details against the degree of noise reduction. The algorithm exploits generally valid knowledge about the correlation of significant image features across the resolution scales to perform a preliminary coefficient classification. This preliminary coefficient classification is used to empirically estimate the statistical distributions of the coefficients that represent useful image features on the one hand and mainly noise on the other. The adaptation to the spatial context in the image is achieved by using a wavelet domain indicator of the local spatial activity. The proposed method is of low complexity, both in its implementation and execution time. The results demonstrate its usefulness for noise suppression in medical ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. In these applications, the proposed method clearly outperforms single-resolution spatially adaptive algorithms, in terms of quantitative performance measures as well as in terms of visual quality of the images.     

Integrated wavelets for enhancement of microcalcifications in digital mammography

This paper presents a new algorithm for enhancement of microcalcifications in mammograms. The main novelty is the application of techniques we have developed for construction of filterbanks derived from the continuous wavelet transform. These discrete wavelet decompositions, called integrated wavelets, are optimally designed for enhancement of multiscale structures in images. Furthermore, we use a model based approach to refine existing methods for general enhancement of mammograms resulting in a more specific enhancement of microcalcifications. We present results of our method and compare them with known algorithms. Finally, we want to indicate how these techniques can also be applied to the detection of microcalcifications. Our algorithm was positively evaluated in a clinical study. It has been implemented in a mammography workstation designed for soft-copy reading of digital mammograms developed by IMAGETOOL, Germany.     

Simulation-based optimization of personnel assignment planning in sequenced commercial vehicle assembly: A software tool for iterative improvement

This paper presents a simulation-based planning software for high complexity production settings which currently undergoes first real-data industry application tests in commercial vehicle assembly. The system will also be applicable in other industries with a sufficiently high number of products and variants. The solution enables the forecasting of required personnel and temporary additional workers (“floaters”) for every cycle at the production line. It periodically collects process times, sequence and feature data for the vehicles. The cumulated workload is calculated under consideration of flexibilities. A web-based user interface enables to set and change reference data, define process simulations and to compile diagrams and charts for the analysis of the results of the different simulation runs. Various filters as to time periods, vehicle types or feature variants allow the planner a target-oriented analysis and provide feedback for improving production line tacting. Finally, some qualitative results of a first industry test in commercial vehicle assembly give feedback about the usability of existing analytical features and desirable additional features.     

Island connected sea bed signatures observed by multi-frequency synthetic aperture radar

Multifrequency X-, C-, and L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of the northern sea area off the isle of Heligoland in the German Bight of the North Sea have been analysed. The data were collected during the SAR and X-band Ocean Nonlinearities Research Platform North Sea Experiment (SAXON-FPN) which was carried out in November, 1990. Different oceanographic phenomena are visible on simultaneously obtained SAR images. Wind streaks and a vortex street can be identified only on the X- and C-band SAR images. Elongated streaks of predominantly low radar return are related to nearshore reefs and are imaged on all available radar scenes. The imaging mechanism of these submarine ridges is investigated and discussed using with some modifications the simple Bragg relaxation model proposed by Alpers and Hennings. The improved model differs from the original version in the representation of the unperturbed wave-energy spectral density. Also the advection term and the phase modulation (velocity bunching) have been included in the model. Due to the improvements it is now possible to simulate the radar cross-section modulation with the same order of magnitude at 0.4 GHz (X-band) and 5.3GHz (C-band) as well as at 1.3 GHz (L-band). However, the simulated radar cross-section modulation is still underestimated compared with the SAR data, but the phase of the calculated radar cross-section modulation agrees quite well with the SAR measurements.     

Analysis of debonding fracture in a sandwich plate with hexagonal core

In lightweight applications (as, e.g., aerospace structures) sandwich constructions are very useful and common due to their superior specific bending stiffness and bending strength. In many cases the sandwich consists of an upper and lower laminate facesheet and an intermediate hexagonal cellular aluminum core. Along their interfaces the facesheets and the core are glued together. In order to ensure structural integrity, the facesheet/core bonding is of particular interest. Finite element method has been used to study the cause and the effects of debonding phenomena in between the facesheet and the core of a sandwich plate under in-plane loading. A “unit cell” approach has been followed throughout the study. It has been observed that under an applied in-plane loading, there is a significant stress concentration at the junction of three cell walls and facesheet which easily leads to the generation of cracks and their growth. In order to judge about the tendency of crack initiation and growth, hypothetical interface cracks have been considered and analyzed by fracture mechanics technique. In doing so for various crack length, the energy release rate has been calculated and assessed by means of Irwin’s crack closure integral for a number of different situations. It has been observed that there is a significant amount of energy release rate even in the case of a very small or virtually no crack. This phenomenon indicates that the glue used to attach the facesheet and the cell must withstand a non-zero energy release rate even in the intact situation without any debonding.