Caffeine-stimulated lipolysis in relation to pathologic pregnancy

In an acute experiment the effect of Coffeinum-Sodium-salicylicum (3 mg/kg body weight) on the parameter of lipolysis Free Fatty Acids (FFA) and free glycerin in early pregnancy is investigated. On the base of literature data the possibility of labour induction due to high blood-values of FFA and glycerin is explained and the importance of the coffeine-stimulated lipolysis in pregnancy is discussed. To prevent one possible cause of abortus or miscarriage it is recommended to restrict taking coffee during pregnancy.     

New insights to the use of ethanol in automotive fuels: a stable isotopic tracer for fossil- and bio-fuel combustion inputs to the atmosphere

Ethanol is currently receiving increased attention because of its use as a biofuel or fuel additive and because of its influence on air quality. We used stable isotopic ratio measurements of (13)C/(12)C in ethanol emitted from vehicles and a small group of tropical plants to establish ethanol's δ(13)C end-member signatures. Ethanol emitted in exhaust is distinctly different from that emitted by tropical plants and can serve as a unique stable isotopic tracer for transportation-related inputs to the atmosphere. Ethanol's unique isotopic signature in fuel is related to corn, a C4 plant and the primary source of ethanol in the U.S. We estimated a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) for ethanol's oxidative loss in the atmosphere and used previous assumptions with respect to the fractionation that may occur during wet and dry deposition. A small number of interpretive model calculations were used for source apportionment of ethanol and to understand the associated effects resulting from atmospheric removal. The models incorporated our end-member signatures and ambient measurements of ethanol, known or estimated source strengths and removal magnitudes, and estimated KIEs associated with atmospheric removal processes for ethanol. We compared transportation-related ethanol signatures to those from biogenic sources and used a set of ambient measurements to apportion each source contribution in Miami, Florida-a moderately polluted, but well ventilated urban location.     

Effect of radiographic positioning on interpretation of cubital joint congruity in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain effects of x-ray beam centering and limb position on apparent congruity of a normal cubital joint (elbow). ANIMALS: 6 skeletally mature male Treeing Walker Coonhounds without physical, radiographic, or gross evidence of elbow abnormalities. PROCEDURE: Relative movement among humerus, radius, and ulna and measured joint space width on mediolateral and craniocaudal radiographic views was compared, using various x-ray beam centering and limb positions. RESULTS: Highest agreement and greatest certainty on subjective determination of congruity was for the flexed 90 degrees mediolateral radiographic view with the x-ray beam centered on the elbow. Distortion artifact of the proximal ulnar measurements was significant when the x-ray beam was centered on the midpoint of the radius. On the mediolateral view, the humeroradial joint space became significantly wide when the elbow was flexed. On the craniocaudal view, maximal humeroradial joint space width was obtained when the x-ray beam bisected the angle of the joint or was angled +30 degrees toward the humerus. CONCLUSIONS: Artifact distortion of joint width affected objective and subjective assessment of elbow congruity when the limb was placed in extreme flexion or extension or when the x-ray beam was not centered over the area of interest. Optimal visualization of the humeroradial joint space on the craniocaudal view was achieved when the x-ray beam bisected the angle of the elbow or was slightly angled toward the humerus. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Elbow congruity was best assessed on the flexed 90 degrees lateral radiographic view with the x-ray beam centered on the joint.     

Electrodeposition of eutectic Sn96.5Ag3.5 films from iodide–pyrophosphate solution

Electrodeposition of SnAg alloy films and the effect of additives like PEG-600 and hydrazine hydrochloride on the same were studied in KI–K₄P₂O₇ solutions. PEG-600 was found to adsorb on the electrode surface, resulting in strong reduction inhibition of tin pyrophosphate complex ions, but it does not affect the reduction of silver iodide complex. It was found that hydrazine hydrochloride acted as a reducing agent for Sn⁴⁺ species and greatly improved surface morphology and roughness of the films by preventing the formation of Sn dendrites during electrodeposition. Eutectic Sn_96.5Ag_3.5 was obtained from a plating solution that contained both PEG-600 and hydrazine hydrochloride as additives, at the deposition current density of 40 mA cm⁻². Stress measurements of the SnAg films showed that it was tensile. X-ray analysis of the deposit showed the presence of β-Sn and ?-Ag₃Sn phases in the eutectic SnAg film. The DSC profile of SnAg film gave the melting point as 222 °C.     

Application potential of coarse-grained diamond grinding wheels for precision grinding of optical materials

Fine-grained resin bonded diamond tools are often used for ultra-precision machining of brittle materials to achieve optical surfaces. A well-known drawback is the high tool wear. Therefore, grinding processes need to be developed exhibiting less wear and higher profitability. Consequently, the presented work focuses on conditioning a mono-layered, coarse-grained diamond grinding wheel with a spherical profile and an average grain size of 301 µm by combining a thermo-chemical and a mechanical-abrasive dressing technique. This processing leads to a run-out error of the grinding wheel in a low-micrometer range. Additionally, the thermo-chemical dressing leads to flattened grains, which supports the generation of hydrostatic pressure in the cutting zone and enables ductile-mode grinding of hard and brittle materials. After dressing, the application characteristics of coarse-grained diamond grinding wheels were examined by grinding optical glasses, fused silica and glass–ceramics in two different kinematics, plunge-cut surface grinding and cross grinding. For plunge-cut surface grinding, a critical depth of cut and surface roughness were determined and for cross-grinding experiments the subsurface damage was analyzed additionally. Finally, the identified parameters for ductile-machining with coarse-grained diamond grinding wheels were used for grinding a surface of 2000 mm² in glass–ceramics.     

Injection molded spherical grinding tools: manufacture and application of a novel tool concept for micro grinding

Micro grinding offers the possibility of machining micro structures in hard and brittle materials producing small-scaled parts. Novel micro grinding systems and machines require miniaturized tools and spindles to meet the demands of small or desktop machines providing a small working space. This paper introduces a novel grinding module called ’GrindBall’, with highly integrated tool drive and bearing functions as well as a shaft-free, spherical grinding tool for micro machining applications in small-scaled machine tools. One of the challenges within the development of the GrindBall module is the manufacture of spherical grinding tools, which are not commercially available. A promising method to produce such grinding tools, the injection molding of micro particle filled polymers, is demonstrated in this paper. Injection molding and grinding experiments show that such spherical grinding tools meet the main requirements of this novel grinding technique and show significant material removal rates.     

Ultraviolet lithography on sloped surfaces utilizing diamond turned holograms

A lithography method by means of a diamond turned hologram (DTH) is presented, that allows patterning of sloped surfaces. The DTH is manufactured by a modified diamond turning process, using a piezoelectric actuator, the nano fast tool servo, which modulates the depth of cut within submicrometer range at a frequency up to 10 kHz. In order to machine a DTH to be applied as phase masks for ultraviolet lithography, workpiece materials have to feature a sufficient reflectivity and excellent machinability. Ultra-fine grained aluminium was identified as most suitable workpiece material, since its reflectivity measures around 80 % and a homogenous structure can be machined. The employed DTH is used in a lithography setup in conjunction with a helium cadmium laser emitting at a wavelength of λ = 325 nm. Patterns up to a linewidth of 30 μm were successfully and consistently transferred on a photoresist coated planar substrate with a tilt angle of 30° with respect to the optical axis.     

Purification and identification of a novel cutinase from Coprinopsis cinerea by adsorptive bubble separation

A novel extracellular esterase was separated from culture supernatants of the basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea by means of foam fractionation. The parameters pH value, gas flow rate, addition of detergents, and the column design were varied to optimise the transport of the active enzyme into the foam phase. On the 70-mL scale, a recovery of activity of 79% with an enrichment factor of 10.5 was obtained at pH 7 and 20 mL air min⁻¹ within 15 min. The enriched enzyme was characterized biochemically by semi-native SDS-PAGE and IEF electrophoresis with activity staining. Peptide sequencing was performed after tryptic digestion by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Homology searches revealed significant similarities to cutinases of various ascomycetes and to C. cinerea genome data recently annotated as cutinases.     

Temperature-sensitive mutants of influenza A virus. XIV. Production and evaluation of influenza A/Georgia/74-ts-1[E] recombinant viruses in human adults

The two temperature-sensitive (ts) lesions present in influenza A/Hong Kong/68-ts-1[E] (H3N2 68) virus were transferred via genetic reassortment to influenza A/Georgia/74 (H3N2 74) wild-type virus. A recombinant clone possessing both ts lesions and the shutoff temperature of 38 C of the Hong Kong/68 ts donor and the two surface antigens of the Georgia/74 wild-type virus was administered to 32 seronegative adult volunteers. Thirty-one volunteers were infected, of whom only five experienced mild afebrile upper respiratory tract illness. The wild-type recipient virus was a cloned population that induced illness in five of six infected volunteers. Therfore, the attenuation exhibited by the Georgia/74-ts-1[E] virus could reasonably be assumed to be due to the acquisition of the two ts-1[E] lesions by the Georgia/74 wild-type virus. The serum and nasal wash antibody responses of the ts-1[E] vaccinees were equivalent to those of the volunteers who received wild-type virus. The two ts lesions present in the Hong Kong/68-ts-1[E] virus have now been transferred three times to a wild-type virus bearing a new hemagglutinin, and in each instance the new ts recombination exhibited a similar, satisfactory level of attenuation and antigenicity for adults. It seems likely that the transfer of the ts-1[E] lesions to any new influenza virus will regularly result in attenuation of a recombinat virus possessing the new surface antigens.