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IntroductionLaws banning tobacco smoking from public areas have been passed in several countries, including the region of Bremen, Germany at the end of 2007. The present study analyses the incidence of hospital admissions due to ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs) before and after such a smoking ban was implemented, focusing on differences between smokers and non-smokers. In this respect, data of the Bremen STEMI Registry (BSR) give a complete epidemiological overview of a region in northwest Germany with approximately 800,000 inhabitants since all STEMIs are admitted to one central heart centre.Methods and resultsBetween January 2006 and December 2010, data from the BSR was analysed focusing on date of admission, age, gender, and prior nicotine consumption. A total of 3545 patients with STEMI were admitted in the Bremen Heart Centre during this time period. Comparing 2006–2007 vs. 2008–2010, hence before and after the smoking ban, a 16% decrease of the number of STEMIs was observed: from a mean of 65 STEMI/month in 2006–2007 to 55/month in 2008–2010 (p < 0.01). The group of smokers showed a constant number of STEMIs: 25/month in 2006–2007 to 26/month in 2008–2010 (+4%, p = 0.8). However, in non-smokers, a significant reduction of STEMIs over time was found: 39/month in 2006–2007 to 29/month in 2008–2010 (−26%, p < 0.01). The decline of STEMIs in non-smokers was consistently observed in all age groups and both sexes. Adjusting for potentially confounding factors like hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus did not explain the observed decline.ConclusionsIn the BSR, a significant decline of hospital admissions due to STEMIs in non-smokers was observed after the smoking ban in public areas came into force. No reduction of STEMI-related admissions was found in smokers. These results may be explained by the protection of non-smokers from passive smoking and the absence of such an effect in smokers by the dominant effect of active smoking.

The estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα) is an orphan receptor belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily. The physiological role of ERRα has yet to be established primarily because of lack of a natural ligand. Herein, we describe the discovery of the first potent and selective inverse agonist of ERRα. Through in vitro and in vivo studies, these ligands will elucidate the endocrine signaling pathways mediated by ERRα including association with human disease states.

Transgenic lines of the spring barley variety Golden Promise containing the firefly luciferase gene were produced by particle bombardment of immature embryos. Non-destructive analysis of luciferase gene expression was used to monitor the transformation process. This revealed that transformation efficiency, in terms of the percentage of bombarded immature embryos giving rise to transformed callus lines, was very high, up to 40%. Following the expression of the luciferase gene provided a method for the sensitive, non-destructive, real-time monitoring of gene expression throughout the transformation process. Luciferase expression could also be used to easily identify transgenic plants and to identify homozygous transgenic plants at an early stage. The production of transgenic barley by selecting for luciferase-positive material, without an additional selection system, was possible but technically difficult.

The boron-catalyzed polymerization of dimethylsulfoxonium methylide (1) has been used to prepare telechelic polymethylene polymers. The functional polymers were synthesized by hydroboration of substituted α-olefins. Functional groups including biotin, carbohydrates, primary and secondary amines, and dansyl and pyrene fluorescent groups were tolerant to the reaction conditions. The living polymerization of ylide 1 was initiated and catalyzed by the organoborane. Oxidation of the resulting tris(polymethylene) organoborane produced ω-hydroxy-terminated polymethylenes. The reactions were used to produce α,ω-polymethylenes with molecular weights in the range of 1000−17 000 with polydispersities &lt; 1.1.

Based on a recent finding that an Azospirillum isolate ASP-1 possessing high 16S rDNA similarity to Azospirillum irakense was able to degrade desferrioxamine type siderophores (Winkelmann et al. BioMetals 9, 78-83, 1996), various members of the genus Azospirillum were analyzed for their ability to degrade desferrioxamines. While the desferrioxamine-degrading activity was absent or scarcely detectable in strains of A. lipoferum, A. brasilense, A. amazonense, degradation activity seemed to be confined to the species A. irakense (KBC-1, KA3). Also the identity of strain ASP-1 as A. irakense could be confirmed by species-specific oligonucleotide hybridization, InterLINE PCR fingerprinting and carbon source utilization pattern (BIOLOG) analysis. Products of desferrioxamine B degradation were analyzed by analytical HPLC and HPLC/electrospray mass spectrometry. Using whole cells and purified enzyme it was shown that the trihydroxamate desferrioxamine B (561 amu) is split at the N-terminal amide bond yielding a monohydroxamate (MH1, 219 amu) and a dihydroxamate (DH1, 361 amu) metabolite. A second monohydroxamate (MH2, 319 amu) resulted from DH1after splitting the acetylhydroxamate bond. Minor amounts of a further dihydroxamate (DH2, 419 amu) originated from splitting the second amide bond in desferrioxamine B. In addition to desferrioxamine B, several other linear and cyclic desferrioxamines and derivatives were degraded, whereas desferricoprogen and desferri-ferrichrome were not degraded, indicating high substrate specificity of the desferrioxamine hydrolase in A. irakense species. A simple microtiter plate assay was developed which can be used to phenotypically discriminate and identify species of A. irakense from other Azospirillum species by their characteristic feature of desferrioxamine degradation.

In nine patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome, the plasma activity and plasma concentrations of antithrombin III were determined on admission to the hospital and during the clinical course of the disease. Hemodialysis was necessary in six of the patients. In seven children the plasma AT III activity was moderately to markedly below the lower limit of normal at 75%, and did not rise after plasmapheresis with fresh frozen plasma. Replacement therapy with AT III concentrate was started in these patients. During the first 2 days an average dose of AT III concentrate of 2.1 U/kg in 24 h was necessary to raise plasma AT III activity by 1%. No side effects were observed. An already pre-existing procoagulant status and the administration of heparin may lead to AT III deficiency in hemolyticuremic syndrome.

With the help of the TGZ appliance, changes in the size of nuclei in the stroma of the endometrium cervicis of foeti, newborn and children were measured. Thus the nuclei of the stroma in the foetus reveal an enlargement during the foetal life, reaching a maximum in the tenth month of pregnancy. Caused by the rapid growth of the nuclei we find a great variability in their size till to 15%.

Double-sided silicon strip detectors have been fabricated and tested in a silicon tracking telescope placed in a high-energy muon beam at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The detectors feature AC coupling to front-end electronics and employ two different techniques for isolating n-strips. The CAMEX 64-channel multiplexing amplifier is used for readout. Preliminary results of measurements are reported on pulse heights, signal-to-noise performance, hit resolution, and impedance characteristics of the detector. Measurements of the bias resistance illustrate a mild dependence on bias voltage and, for the field-effect detectors, a strong dependence on the voltage of the readout strips and field strips. The signal-to-noise ratio is determined to be in the range of 10-12, but is expected to increase with improvements to the electronics.<>

Optical gain on the 476.5 nm Ar II 4p-4s ion laser transition has been observed in argon-gas excited by 2.5 ns pulses of 90 MeV32S ions with a repetition rate of 4883 Hz. The energy per pulse was 23 µJ. The projectiles were stopped in the target at pressures between 5 and 20 kPa. Gain was determined from a measured transient increase of the intensity of a 476.5 nm probe laser beam sent along the ion beam axis and back reflected by an aluminum foil. The maximum gain observed was (0.4±0.1)×10-3 at a target-gas pressure of 5 kPa. Control experiments using krypton as target-gas were performed and yielded a null result. The optical gain observed in argon is consistent with the result from an analysis of spectroscopic studies of rare-gas targets excited by heavy ion beams.

Microforms of Cryptococcus neoformans are described (in skin lesions) and differences among corresponding tissue forms of other fungal species are pointed out.

Intensive measurements of chemical and physical properties of the atmospheric aerosol have been performed at two sites in central Europe during the Melpitz‐Intensive (MINT) in November 1997 and the Lindenberg Aerosol Characterization Experiment 1998 (LACE 98) in July and August 1998. Number‐size distributions, hygroscopic particle growth, size‐segregated gravimetric mass, and size‐segregated chemical masses of water‐soluble ions and organic and elemental carbon of aerosol particles have been measured. To obtain information on the quality of the different methods, the number‐derived, gravimetric, and chemically derived mass distributions are compared. Gravimetric mass of fine particles is attributed completely to chemical composition by carbonaceous material and ions, including an estimate of the water content due to hygroscopic compounds. For the characterization of coarse particles, which contribute less to the total mass concentration, insoluble material has to be included in the mass balance. Mass concentrations calculated from the number‐size distributions are well correlated with the gravimetric mass concentration; however, the calculated mass is larger, especially for the Aitken and accumulation modes. The number‐derived mass concentration is most sensitive to the sizing uncertainty of the measured number‐size distribution. Moreover, the impactor cutoffs and the limited knowledge about the density of the particles (especially with high carbon content) account for a major part of the uncertainties. The overall uncertainty of the calculated mass, determined as the standard deviation of the average value in a Monte Carlo approach, is found to be about 10%. Lognormal parameters for the number‐size and volume‐size distributions as well as gravimetric mass‐size distribution and corresponding chemical composition are presented for different air mass types. Most of the modal parameters do not differ significantly between the air mass types. Higher mass concentrations are mostly due to an increase in size (of Aitken and accumulation mode) rather than an increase in the number of particles in a given mode. Generally, the mass percent carbon content increases with decreasing particle size. The most pronounced difference with season is an increase of carbon content from summer to winter as well as an increase in nitrate content, resulting in a decrease of sulfate. For nitrate a strong dependence on air mass direction is observed. Sulfate and nitrate are predominantly neutralized by ammonium. With the results of the two experiments, quality‐controlled mode parameters and corresponding chemical composition of atmospheric aerosol particles in central Europe are now available for application in models.

Hygroscopic properties of atmospheric aerosol particles in the Aitken, large, and giant particle range were studied during the Lindenberg Aerosol Characterization Experiment (LACE 98) in a rural area 80 km southeast of Berlin. The hygroscopic behavior of Aitken particles were determined in situ in four size classes (50, 100, 150, 250 nm) with a Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer for relative humidities (RH) of 60% and 90%. Measurements at 60% RH served as reference data used by other LACE 98 investigators for mass closure and radiative transfer calculations. In most cases, at 90% RH, the atmospheric particles could be classified into two groups (“more” and “less” hygroscopic fraction) with different hygroscopic properties, whereas this classification was not possible for the measurements at 60% RH. The measured average growth factors of the “more” hygroscopic fraction were found to be at 1.43, 1.49, 1.56, and 1.63 for particles with a size of 50, 100, 150, and 250 nm, respectively. Growth factors of the “less” hygroscopic mode were about 1.1 for all particle sizes. The water‐soluble volume fraction of the particles was estimated using a hygroscopic model, assuming that the particles consist of ammonium sulfate with an insoluble core. Chemical analysis of size‐segregated impactor samples confirmed this assumption. The corresponding estimated water‐soluble volume fractions for the “more” hygroscopic particles were about 0.47, 0.52, 0.59, and 0.68, whereas the estimated water‐soluble volume fractions of the “less” hygroscopic particles were in the order of 0.1. At 60% RH, the measured average growth factors were in the range of 1.15–1.22, the estimated water‐soluble volume fractions were in the range of 0.41–0.59. For large and giant aerosol particles, the determination of the soluble volume fraction was extended by direct measurements with the water‐soluble fraction of large and giant aerosol particles system. Quasi‐monodisperse samples of particles 0.4–3.8 μm in diameter were investigated for seven specific particle sizes. The particles measured within this size range show up to three classes of water‐soluble volume fractions: In some cases, a class of nearly insoluble particles corresponding to the less hygroscopic fraction in the Aitken range can be identified. A second class corresponding to the more hygroscopic fraction is found with a water‐soluble volume fraction of about 0.5–0.7. In addition to the Aitken range, a third class of particles with a soluble volume fraction of about 0.85 is usually found. Below 0.7 μm particle size, the third class of nearly complete water‐soluble particles is strongly dominant; above 0.7 μm, there is an equal distribution of all classes. No significant variation can be seen during the LACE 98 campaign in the large and giant particle size range.