Luminol and lucigenin amplified chemiluminescence and lipidperoxidation with brain microsomes from rats during ontogenetic development

During the 1980s, the ecologic association of conjugated estrogens with endometrial cancer changed from positive to negative in a prepaid health plan. During the same period, use of progestins increased dramatically. We investigated whether the latter increase could explain the reversal of the estrogen-cancer association. Endometrial cancer incidence was estimated from cases recorded in the health plan registry divided by the number of women over age 45 years. Conjugated estrogens usage was measured as milligrams prescribed per woman per year and progestin was measured as tablets per woman per year, both based upon pharmacy records. Graphical and regression methods were used to analyze the resulting ecologic data. In a log-linear regression of incidence on conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone usage, estrogen usage had a strong positive association with incidence, while medroxyprogesterone had a strong negative association with incidence. The change in the direction of the ecologic association between estrogen and endometrial cancer that occurred in 1984 continued until 1993, suggesting that the decline in endometrial cancer incidence and concomitant increase in conjugated estrogens usage since 1984 is explained by the increasing use of progestins. The data are entirely consistent with the hypothesis that progestins can protect against most of the excess risk conferred by conjugated estrogens, although the ecologic nature of the data prohibits drawing further inferences.     

Hilfsmittel zum Auffinden einer ersten Gestalt beim methodischen Konstruieren: Gestaltbeeinflussung durch die Verwendung physikalischer Effekte

Zusammenfassung Ziel des Teilvorhabens, über das hier berichtet wird, was es, für eine Auswahl von physikalischen Effekten eine Zuordnung von gestaltbeeinflussenden Merkmalen auf sehr abstrakter Ebene zu erreichen und damit eine n?here Charakterisierung der Wirkfl?chen und Wirkr?ume zu erreichen die zur Umsetzung eines physikalischen Effektes notwendig sind. Die hieraus resultierenden Ergebnisse sind dem Abschlu?bericht zu entnehmen [1]. Weiterführende Themen, die basierend auf den vorliegenden Erkenntnissen bearbeitet werden, haben zum Ziel, die wesentlichen und entscheidenden Parameter einer Konstruktionsaufgabe zu erkennen und zukünftig zielgerichtet L?sungsvarianten zu erstellen, um somit für eine Neukonstruktion sinnvolle L?sungsfelder sehr frühzeitig abzugrenzen.     

Transmission Electron Microscopy and Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy Characterization of Glass Phase in Sol-Gel-Derived Mullite

Sol-gel-derived mullite ceramics were processed by pressureless sintering at 1600°, 1650°, and 1700°C for 4 h. Microstructural and microchemical characterization of the mullite materials was performed using transmission electron microscopy, in conjunction with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). Apart from mullite grain diameter and triplepocket size, no major microstructural changes were observed with increasing sintering temperature. Residual glass was present at triple pockets and along two-grain junctions. Not all grain boundaries revealed the presence of a continuous amorphous intergranular film. Clean interfaces were observed only at boundaries with one grain parallel to the [001] orientation (low-energy configuration). Quantitative EELS analysis of mullite grains and glass pockets revealed only small changes in composition with increasing sintering temperature; i.e., the alumina:silica ratio slightly increased for mullite and glass. The analysis implied that mullite with this relatively high aluminum content would not be stable adjacent to residual glass. However, a stable glass-mullite system has been proposed, because impurity cations were detected within glass pockets, which suggested a slight shift of the subsolidus line (glass-mullite/ mullite) to a higher amount of alumina. Energy-loss nearedge structure studies of the Si- L _2,3 edge revealed a similar near-edge structure for the mullite, residual glass, and quartz. Thus, SiO₄ tetrahedra were thought to be the main building units of the glass contained in sintered mullite.     

Pitfalls of protein sequence analysis

Thirteen patients who developed restrictive subdeltoid adhesions after rotator cuff repair were identified. These patients underwent second-look arthroscopy and takedown of adhesions at an average of 37 weeks after their index surgery. Clinical findings include pain and restricted motion that does not yield to manipulation under anesthesia. Arthroscopic findings are subdeltoid adhesions and a chondral lesion (companion lesion) of the humeral head articular surface. Patients were reevaluated at 26 weeks after their release of adhesions. Prerelease and postrelease University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) scores average 14.8 and 30.1, respectively. Prerelease and postrelease UCLA pain scores averaged 2.6 and 7.7, respectively. Prerelease and postrelease range of motion was as follows: Flexion, 141/158; abduction, 123/141; internal rotation, 47/69; and external rotation, 53/74. The authors have proposed a theory to explain the clinical and arthroscopic findings in this subgroup of patients who are dissatisfied after rotator cuff repair. A technique for and the results of release of the subdeltoid adhesions also are reported.     

Online Coloring of Bipartite Graphs with and without Advice

In the online version of the well-known graph coloring problem, the vertices appear one after the other together with the edges to the already known vertices and have to be irrevocably colored immediately after their appearance. We consider this problem on bipartite, i.e., two-colorable graphs. We prove that at least ?1.13746?log₂(n)?0.49887? colors are necessary for any deterministic online algorithm to be able to color any given bipartite graph on n vertices, thus improving on the previously known lower bound of ?log₂ n?+1 for sufficiently large n. Recently, the advice complexity was introduced as a method for a fine-grained analysis of the hardness of online problems. We apply this method to the online coloring problem and prove (almost) tight linear upper and lower bounds on the advice complexity of coloring a bipartite graph online optimally or using 3 colors. Moreover, we prove that \(O(\sqrt{n})\) advice bits are sufficient for coloring any bipartite graph on n vertices with at most ?log₂ n? colors.     

Interactions in compatible polymer systems

Summary Dynamic mechanical measurements on polystyrene — poly(vinylmethylether) blends are demonstrating that the relaxation processes in the blends are mainly connected with the motions of the poly(vinylmethylether) chain.Concerning the effect of mixing on topological properties of the blends, an increase of the polydispersity of the relaxation processes is detected in blends with high molecular weight polystyrene while low molecular weight polystyrene exerts an effect of dilution upon the relaxation of the high molecular poly(vinylmethylether) chains.From these measurements as well as from thermoanalytical data it results that the energetic interaction is more pronounced in the blends with oligomeric than with high molecular weight polystyrene. The glass transition temperature shows a larger deviation from additivity for blends with high molecular polystyrene than for those with oligomeric polystyrene.Herrn Prof. Dr. M. Kryszewski zum 60. Geburtstag herzlichst gewidmet     

Grain-Boundary Wetting-Dewetting in z= 1 SiAlON Ceramic

The grain-boundary structure of a model SiAlON polycrystal with nominal composition Si₅AlON₇ was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) both in an equilibrium (as-processed) state at room temperature and after quenching from elevated temperature. In addition, low-frequency (1–13 Hz) internal friction data were recorded as a function of temperature, showing a pronounced grain-boundary sliding peak positioned at 1030°C. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) of the equilibrated low-temperature microstructure revealed residual glass only at multigrain junctions, but no amorphous intergranular films were observed. The detection of clean interfaces in the as-processed sample contradicts the internal friction data, which instead suggests the presence of a low-viscosity grain boundary phase, sliding at elevated temperatures. Therefore, a thin section of the as-sintered material was heated to 1380°C and rapidly quenched. HRTEM analysis of this sample showed, apart from residual glass pockets, wetted grain boundaries, which is in line with the internal friction experiment. This wetting-dewetting phenomenon observed in z = 1 SiAlON is expected to have a strong impact not only on high-temperature engineering ceramics but also on geological, temperature-activated processes such as volcanic eruptions.     

Behaviour of mortar and concrete at extremely low temperatures

The behaviour of hydrated cement paste, mortar and concrete specimens (age ～ 110 days) was investigated at low temperatures and after cyclic temperature-time histories. The relative changes of thermal strains, compressive and tensile splitting strength as well as the alteration of pore structure were studied. The strength in the frozen state increases with decreasing temperature and rising moisture content. If the frozen water-saturated mortar or concrete is reheated to room temperature a loss of strength is registered. The loss of strength increases with the number of temperature cycles. Storing the specimens at rel. hum. below 85% no losses were registered and no irreversible expansion occured. Water-saturated mortar showed after only 12 cycles an irreversible positive strain of 2,7%, indicating internal damage which was also proved by mercury porosimetry. Thus, the moisture content seems to be one of the decisive factors affecting the sensitivity of mortar and concrete subjected to extremely low temperatures.