Micromechanical structures for optical fibers in board

This project develops an electro-optical board technology based on the combination of discrete wiring and glass optical fibers.Such a board provides optical parallel interconnects. Meaning that 16 optical fibers will be led simultaneously in and out the board from the incomming links to the transmitter and receiver modules mounted on this board.This technology is expected to fulfil the needs of next generation broadband exchanges concerning high data rate flow.As the ligning-up of the fibers requires severe dimensional tolerances, we have to enter the field of the micromechanica. The most critical parts will therefore be manufactured with the LIGA technique.The first generation of models produced and tested by Alcatel Bell Telephone proved that this concept is perfectly feasible.     

Overweight in Switzerland. Cross-comparison of various studies with the Heureka Study

In this study the most important Swiss studies on the incidence of overweight and obesity are summarized and compared to the corresponding prevalence rates from the Heureka study. Interestingly, data on body weight indexes (mostly mass indexes) and the various prevalence rates showed good accordance for younger age groups. In the upper age classes however, phenotypic differences concerning determinants and risk factors for overweight became obvious in the different Swiss populations (i.e. from geographically different regions of Switzerland). Nevertheless, regional risk factors could not been detected because specific data were lacking. The importance of uniform weight definitions for studies as well as for daily practise is stressed.     

Intravenous ketorolac as an adjuvant to pediatric patient-controlled analgesia with morphine

The multiglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii (TII), a ready-made Chinese herbal medicine used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, have been shown to cause oligospermia in patients. In the present study, the antifertility effects of TII and tripchlorolide (T4, isolated from TII) were observed in male rats. In rats fed with TII at a dose of 10 mg.kg.d for 7 weeks, the seminiferous tubules were essentially not influenced. However, most of the sperm heads along the surface of the tubular lumen were transformed from the normal sickle-shaped to round shaped, suggesting a possible mutagenic action. There was minimal testicular change but prominent epididymal spermatozoa damage in all rats treated with T4 (0.05 mg.kg.d) for 7 weeks. The epididymal spermatozoa showed various structural abnormalities, including disrupted connecting pieces and cracked midpieces, and more than 80% of the spermatozoa were decapitated. No significant changes were seen in the main visceral organs. The data suggest that T4 may have good prospects as a male contraceptive.     

Use of focused open vessel microwave-assisted extraction as prelude for the determination of the fatty acid profile of fish – a comparison with results obtained after liquid-liquid extraction according to Bligh and Dyer

 A method based on microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was developed to extract lipids from fish for the determination of the fatty acid composition. Microwave-assisted extraction was performed with an open-vessel extraction apparatus similar to the system of Soxhlet. The solvent was an equivolume mixture of ethyl acetate and cyclohexane. The solvent forms a ternary azeotrope with water, and water is separated after re-condensation in a water trap. With this technique, extraction can be performed without pre-drying of fish tissues. After lipid extraction, the esterification was performed with trimethylsulfonium hydroxide (TMSH) and the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were determined by GC/FID. The results were compared with those obtained after liquid-liquid extraction according to Bligh and Dyer. Fillets of mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and livers of cod (Gadus morhua) were used as the sample material. The water content (n=7) of the cod livers was 36.2±1.6% and that of mackerel fillets was 74.5±0.5%. The lipid contents (n=5) using the MAE method were 5.6±0.4% and 62.6±3.1% in mackerel and cod liver, respectively. Relative levels of 58 fatty acids (two co-eluted) were determined with GC/FID on two capillary columns with different polarity. These were 10 saturated, 24 unsaturated, and 24 unidentified peaks which are most likely unsaturated or branched-chain fatty acids. After MAE the composition of the 57 peaks was virtually the same as that obtained with the Bligh and Dyer method. The advantages are, however, that MAE is faster, requires less solvent, and avoids the use of chlorinated solvents and so is more environmentally friendly. Our results confirm that MAE is a well-suited alternative to the Bligh and Dyer method for the extraction of lipids followed by determination of the fatty acid profile. Received: 1 March 2000 / Revised version: 23 May 2000     

The influence of the pre-treatment of apple cell wall samples on their functional properties

Apple cell wall materials (CWMs) exhibiting different degrees of cell wall degradation were prepared by the application of maceration and liquefaction enzymes (control sample without treatment), and their physico-chemical properties were investigated. Different methods were used for the determination of the water binding behaviour and the rheological properties. It was found that the standardized analysis methods gave results of limited correctness depending on the sample type and on the sample pre-treatment. Aggregates, formed during the drying of apple CWM that was treated with liquefaction enzyme, could be re-dissolved by mechanical stress (stirring) during rehydration. The stirring improved the detected functional properties (water binding and rheology) of the material to a great extent. It has to be realized that the analysis methods including the sample pre-treatment have to be adapted to the type of sample material. Furthermore the investigations showed that the water binding properties of CWMs do not simply correlate with separate parameters such as porosity, pectin content or the remaining natural grown cell structure. Probably, the functional properties are influenced mutually and multivariately by many material attributes.     

Wireless Internet Security

Immer kleiner, immer schneller, immer mobiler – Wireless LANs (WLANs) haben Einzug in Unternehmen und Hochschulen gehalten und GPRS soll den Mobilfunk revoluzionieren.     

Redundancy strategies for a high splitting optically amplifiedpassive optical network

High splitting, optically amplified, passive optical networks (SuperPONs) are investigated in terms of redundancy provision and protection mechanisms. Options for redundancy, including the important special case of dual homing, are detailed, and it is determined as to which of these options (duplication of the feeder and first distribution section, and N+1 protection of the optical amplifiers in the amplified splitter) would be required to be provided to all attached users to facilitate appropriate availability of the basic telephony service. The distributed amplified splitter dual homing solution is found to outperform the single amplified splitter solution in terms of its survivability. The protection mechanisms necessary to automatically switch to the redundant provision are discussed and it is seen that with the aid of suitable regular precautionary procedures protection switching can generally be provided rapidly (<50 ms). Finally, an availability, and cost versus availability, study confirms the aforementioned redundancy assessment for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) implementations, but shows fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) as needing additional redundancy     

GRETA: utilizing new concepts in γ-ray detection

We present a new concept for γ-ray detector arrays. An example, called GRETA (Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array), consists of highly segmented HPGe detectors covering 4π solid angle. The new feature is the ability to track the scattering sequence of incident γ-rays and in every event, this potentially allows one to measure with high resolution the energy deposited, the location (incident angle) and the time of each γ-ray that hits the array. GRETA will be of order of 1000 times more powerful than the best present arrays, such as Gammasphere or Euroball, and will provide access to new physics.     

Chitin content of cultivated mushrooms Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinula edodes

The chitin contents of pileus and stipes of fruit bodies of Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinula edodes (shii take) were determined and compared. The fruit bodies of different, common varieties of the cultivated mushroom species were taken from Hungarian and German large-scale farming. The analytical procedure was carried out on the powder of cleaned, dried and milled pileus and stipes. The pileus of A. bisporus variety ‘K-23’ showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) during the cultivation’s flushes (breaks), 1–3, while the chitin level of stipes seemed to be constant. The other analysed A. bisporus varieties (var. ‘158’, ‘K-7’, ‘Sylvan A-15’, ‘Sylvan 608’, and Le Lion C-9) had practically the same chitin levels. This indicates that the chitin content is a stable characteristic of the species and there are no significant differences between the different varieties. The chitin levels of pileus and stipes were not significantly different (for A. bisporus, 6.68 and 7.25) but showed significant differences for P. ostreatus (p < 0.05) and L. edodes (p < 0.001). In the case of the latter two species, the pileus had the higher and the stipe the lower chitin content. The presented data confirm that a mushroom saprotrophic (A. bisporus) had higher chitin level than had the wood-rotting ones (P. ostreatus, L. edodes).