The role of pain from veins for the formation of perivenous edema in humans

To test the hypothesis that nociception from veins plays a role in the formation of perivenous edema, we looked at edema along hand veins of humans during painful noxious stimulation in the presence and absence of nerve conduction block. Pain from vascularly isolated hand vein segments was evoked by perfusion with hyperosmolar saline and rated with the help of an electronically controlled visual analogue scale. Perivenous edema measured as changes in skin altitude was continuously recorded by means of infrared reflection. To alternately block the innervation of skin and vein segment we used a perivenous block (vein but not skin numbed), a distal ulnar nerve block (skin but not vein numbed), and a proximal ulnar nerve block (both vein and skin numbed). Without nerve block, hyperosmolar saline always evoked both pain and a continuous increase in perivenous edema to a maximum of 2.0-3.2 mm after 30 min. On painless control perfusions with isoosmolar saline, edema increased slightly (0.2-0.8 mm) to a plateau which was maintained until the end of perfusion. When the vein was denervated by perivenous or proximal ulnar nerve block, hyperosmolar saline evoked a slight increase in edema which resembled that of control perfusions in both extent and time course. On distal ulnar nerve block, which numbed the skin but not the vein, both pain and substantial edema were evoked. These observations show that nociception from veins is a prerequisite for perivenous edema to occur.     

Beiträge zur Analyse von holzhaltigen Werkstoffen—Erste Mitteilung: Zur Analyse von Holzspanplatten

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Accurate quantification resulting from precise beam monitoring and calibration

PIXE investigations in Heidelberg utilize very different target types for which analogous standards are very rarely available. Standardless quantitative measurements are therefore the preferred method. This asks for precise beam monitoring and accurate calibration of the setup for the conversion from X-ray counts to concentrations. It will be shown that our beam monitor enables us to measure beam currents down to 1 pA with a precision of ≈ 0.5%.

The computer code GUPIX which we use to quantify our results offers the possibility to use a calibration function H(E) rather than one constant only. H(E) has been measured, leading to an overall accuracy for quantification of 5% even for trace elements.     

Terror management and aggression: evidence that mortality salience motivates aggression against worldview-threatening others

The hypothesis that mortality salience (MS) motivates aggression against worldview-threatening others was tested in 4 studies. In Study 1, the experimenters induced participants to write about either their own death or a control topic, presented them with a target who either disparaged their political views or did not, and gave them the opportunity to choose the amount of hot sauce the target would have to consume. As predicted, MS participants allocated a particularly large amount of hot sauce to the worldview-threatening target. In Studies 2 and 3, the authors found that following MS induction, the opportunity to express a negative attitude toward the critical target eliminated aggression and the opportunity to aggress against the target eliminated derogation. This suggests that derogation and aggression are two alternative modes of responding to MS that serve the same psychological function. Finally, Study 4 showed that MS did not encourage aggression against a person who allocated unpleasant juice to the participant, supporting the specificity of MS-induced aggression to worldview-threatening others.     

Partial portal vein and mesenteric vein thrombosis in familial protein S deficiency

Protein S, a vitamin-K dependent glycoprotein is a cofactor of protein-C system, which acts as an inhibitor of the plasmatic coagulation. Protein-S congenital deficiency results in recurrent venous thromboses, atypical locations in portal and mesenteric veins are possible. In our patient the partial thrombosis of the portal vein was diagnosed by computed tomography and angiography. Small bowel ischaemia due to mesenteric vein thrombosis required segmental resection. Post-operatively the patient was heparinized and later phenprocoumon was applied to a long-term therapy.     

Analog simulation of the nonideal behavior of superconducting Josephson microbridges

The nonideal behavior of superconducting Josephson microbridges due to current-induced pair breaking and self-heating is investigated in an analog simulation experiment. The investigation is based upon the resistively shunted-junction model first treated by Aslamasov and Larkin, which has been extended phenomenologically. The new features in the behavior of the model and their dependence upon the strength and relaxation time of the additional pair-breaking and heating effects are demonstrated by means of their effect on the current-phase relation and the current-voltage characteristic of the Josephson element.