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Introduction: The pathology of a mucoid degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (MDACL) has been mentioned in several publications but due to its rare incidence it is not a well-known pathology. Partial or complete resection of the ACL is the option of choice after failed non-surgical treatment. However, the success rate of both surgical techniques and the subsequent risk of an ACL instability is not known. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical and radiological outcome between partial resection and complete resection of the ACL in patients with MDACL. Materials and methods: Patients with MDACL verified by MRI and persistent knee pain were treated by partial (Group I) or complete resection (Group II) of the ACL and were included in a controlled clinical trial after unsuccessful conservative treatment for at least 6 months. Demographic, clinical and radiological data including the thickness of ACL, ACL/intercondylar ratio, patient's age at the time of surgery, the presenting symptoms, range of motion and ligament stability assessed by the ACL ligament score (Lachman test) were collected. In addition, Tegner activity score and Lysholm score were evaluated preoperatively and at final follow-up after a minimum of 12 months. Results: At final follow-up with a mean of 16.8 ± 8.8 months (range 12–41; Group I: 18.3 ± 9.7 vs. Group II: 15.3 ± 8.0; ns), all patients were pain free. Postoperatively, positive Lachman tests were noted in all patients (100%) in Group II (n = 5 patients with grade II and n = 5 patients with grade III). In Group I, 8 patients (80%) showed a negative Lachman test (grade I) and 2 patients (20%) a slightly elongated Lachman test with a firm stop (grade II). The mean knee flexion at follow-up examination was 132° ± 7° (range 120°–140°; Group I: 129° ± 9° vs. Group II: 135° ± 4°; ns). In pairwise comparison, flexion angle increased significantly in both groups (Group I: p = 0.0124 and Group II: p < 0.001). Pairwise comparison of thickness of the ACL and ACL/intercondylar ratio prior to and post-surgery in Group I showed non-significant differences. Conclusion: Both arthroscopic debridement and complete resection of the ACL lead to improvement of clinical and radiological findings in isolated MDACL. However, complete resection of the ACL will result in higher instability. Therefore, partial resection might be the better treatment option, especially in young patients with MDACL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is considered the first line treatment in ACL rupture. However, some patients return to high intensity sport activities and show a normal knee function without ACL reconstruction. Therefore, aim of this study was to evaluate the rate and prognostic factors of spontaneous healing in patients with ACL rupture and the short-term functional outcome. Methods: The rate, prognostic factors and short-term functional results of spontaneous healing in patients with ACL rupture were evaluated in 381 patients. Morphology of ACL rupture and extent of posterior tibial slope (PTS) were classified by MR- and x-ray imaging. In patients with normal knee stability in anesthesia examination and healed ACL during the arthroscopy 6 weeks after trauma ACL reconstruction was canceled. IKDC -, Tegner Activity Score, KT 1000 testing and radiological characteristics were collected 12 months postoperatively in these patients. Results: 14.17% of the patients with ACL rupture showed a spontaneous healing after 6 weeks. Femoral ACL-rupture (p < 0.02) with integrity of ligament stump > 50% (p < 0.001), without bundle separation (p < 0.001) and decreased PTS (p < 0.001) was found significantly more often in patients with a spontaneous healed ACL. The average IKDC score was high at 84,63 in patients with healed ACL at 1 year follow-up, but KT 1000 testing was inferior compared to non-injured side. Conclusion: Spontaneous healing of a ruptured ACL happened in 14% of the patients. Especially in low-demand patients with femoral single bundle lesions without increased posterior tibial slope delayed ACL surgery should be considered to await the possibility for potential spontaneous ACL healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child undernutrition is a global health issue associated with a high burden of infectious disease. Undernourished children display an overabundance of intestinal pathogens and pathobionts, and these bacteria induce enteric dysfunction in undernourished mice; however, the cause of their overgrowth remains poorly defined. Here, we show that disease-inducing human isolates of Enterobacteriaceae and Bacteroidales spp. are capable of multi-species symbiotic cross-feeding, resulting in synergistic growth of a mixed community in vitro. Growth synergy occurs uniquely under malnourished conditions limited in protein and iron: in this context, Bacteroidales spp. liberate diet- and mucin-derived sugars and Enterobacteriaceae spp. enhance the bioavailability of iron. Analysis of human microbiota datasets reveals that Bacteroidaceae and Enterobacteriaceae are strongly correlated in undernourished children, but not in adequately nourished children, consistent with a diet-dependent growth synergy in the human gut. Together these data suggest that dietary cross-feeding fuels the overgrowth of pathobionts in undernutrition. Malnourished children experience a high burden of intestinal pathogens that exacerbate growth stunting, and preventing this pathogen overgrowth has proved challenging. Here the authors show that diet-specific bacterial crossfeeding contributes to the overgrowth of intestinal pathogens during child malnutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular (CV) morbidity is the major cause of death in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Previous studies on mannose-binding lectin (MBL) gene polymorphisms in SLE patients suggest that low levels of complement MBL are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, as large studies on MBL deficiency based on resulting MBL plasma concentrations are lacking, the aim of our study was to analyze the association of MBL concentrations with CVD in SLE patients. Plasma MBL levels SLE patients included in the Swiss SLE Cohort Study were quantified by ELISA. Five different CV organ manifestations were documented. Of 373 included patients (85.5% female) 62 patients had at least one CV manifestation. Patients with MBL deficiency (levels below 500 ng/ml or 1000 ng/ml) had no significantly increased frequency of CVD (19.4% vs. 15.2%, P = 0.3 or 17.7% vs. 15.7%, P = 0.7). After adjustment for traditional CV risk factors, MBL levels and positive antiphospholipid serology (APL+) a significant association of CVD with age, hypertension, disease duration and APL+ was demonstrated. In our study of a large cohort of patients with SLE, we could not confirm previous studies suggesting MBL deficiency to be associated with an increased risk for CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Barnard’s star is a red dwarf, and has the largest proper motion (apparent motion across the sky) of all known stars. At a distance of 1.8 parsecs1, it is the closest single star to the Sun; only the three stars in the α Centauri system are closer. Barnard’s star is also among the least magnetically active red dwarfs known2,3 and has an estimated age older than the Solar System. Its properties make it a prime target for planetary searches; various techniques with different sensitivity limits have been used previously, including radial-velocity imaging4-6, astrometry7,8 and direct imaging9, but all ultimately led to negative or null results. Here we combine numerous measurements from high-precision radial-velocity instruments, revealing the presence of a low-amplitude periodic signal with a period of 233 days. Independent photometric and spectroscopic monitoring, as well as an analysis of instrumental systematic effects, suggest that this signal is best explained as arising from a planetary companion. The candidate planet around Barnard’s star is a cold super-Earth, with a minimum mass of 3.2 times that of Earth, orbiting near its snow line (the minimum distance from the star at which volatile compounds could condense). The combination of all radial-velocity datasets spanning 20 years of measurements additionally reveals a long-term modulation that could arise from a stellar magnetic-activity cycle or from a more distant planetary object. Because of its proximity to the Sun, the candidate planet has a maximum angular separation of 220 milliarcseconds from Barnard’s star, making it an excellent target for direct imaging and astrometric observations in the future. Analysis of 20 years of observations of Barnard’s star from seven facilities reveals a signal with a period of 233 days that is indicative of a companion planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Summary: We estimated the prevalence of sarcopenia and its impact on disability in older people. Sarcopenia was found to contribute to higher disability scores. However, our study was not able to show any influence of sarcopenia on the rate of functional decline. This directs attention to an accurate diagnosis of sarcopenia as the onset may be influenced, but its rate may not. Introduction: The objectives of this study using data from a population-based cohort were to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in older people in Germany and to test the hypothesis that sarcopenia is associated with disability in older adults. Methods: Cross-sectional ( n = 927) and longitudinal analyses ( n = 859) of participants aged ≥65 years at baseline from southern Germany enrolled in the Cooperative Health Research in the Region Augsburg (KORA)-Age study (2009-2012). Sarcopenia was defined based on the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) algorithm which includes the presence of both low muscle mass and low muscle function (strength or performance). Disability status was measured by the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI). The presence of disability was defined as HAQ-DI >0. Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) were constructed to identify potential confounders. The effect of sarcopenia on disability was analyzed using linear mixed effect models with disability values as a continuous outcome. Results: The overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 5.7% (men 4.0%, women 7.5%) and increased with age. The 3-year incidence of disability was 32.7%. After adjustment for potential confounders, presence of sarcopenia was significantly associated with higher disability scores (0.142 [confidence interval 0.029-0.254]). Conclusion: The prevalence of sarcopenia is consistent with estimates from other European studies using this algorithm. Our results suggest that sarcopenia can contribute to higher disability scores in older adults. However, our study was not able to show any influence of sarcopenia on the rate of functional decline using the EWGSOP diagnostic algorithm for sarcopenia. This directs attention to an accurate diagnosis of sarcopenia as the onset may be influenced, but its rate may not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background/objectives: The objective of this study was to quantify body weight changes in German adult populations during the past decades.Subjects/methods: Longitudinal analysis of seven cohort studies covering different age ranges between 18 and 83 years. Baseline examinations were between 1994 and 2007 and follow-up durations between 4.0 and 11.9 years. For each study, mean change in body weight per year and 10-year change in body mass index (BMI) classification were analyzed. For the middle age group of 45-64 years, meta-analysis was conducted to obtain an overall estimate for Germany.Results: Among men weight gain was highest in the youngest participants and decreased with advancing age. Among women weight gain was on a stable high level among those younger than 45 years and decreased at older age. Within 10 years, 30-40% of middle-aged participants with normal baseline weight became pre-obese or obese and 20-25% of those with pre-obesity at baseline became obese, whereas >80% of persons who were obese at baseline remained obese over time. The estimated average weight change in adults aged 45-64 years was 0.25 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18-0.33) kg/year among men and 0.24 (0.17-0.30) kg/year among women.Conclusions: We could observe a moderate weight gain over the past years in German middle-aged populations of 0.25 kg/year. Obesity prevention needs to be targeted to specific subgroups in the population, especially to younger adults, who seem to be most vulnerable for gaining weight. Obesity intervention needs to be improved, as the majority of obese adults remained obese over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the association of baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) with change in weight and total body fat in a cohort of community-dwelling older adults from Southern Germany. A total of 735 participants of the population-based KORA-Age Study (2009-2012), aged 65-90 years, were followed for 2.9±0.1 years. Body fat was assessed with bioelectrical impedance analysis. Linear and multinomial logistic models, adjusted for baseline covariables, were used to examine the association of 25(OH)D with percentage weight and body fat change during follow-up. 25(OH)D levels were not associated with overall weight change or body fat loss. Higher 25(OH)D levels were associated with a lower likelihood of having gained >3% of body fat in women but not in men. As we cannot exclude residual confounding by outdoor physical activity and diet, our results are not sufficient to support a causal role of 25(OH)D in the etiology of obesity in Caucasian older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteochondral lesions in the elbow still remain a challenging field of surgery. In recent years promising clinical results were described for the osteochondral transplantation technique. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcome in the mid-term follow-up of a large cohort of patients following osteochondral transplantation in the elbow. Methods: 18 patients with advanced osteochondral lesions of the elbow treated by autologous osteochondral autograft cylinders and a minimum follow-up of 36 months were included in the study. The Broberg-Morrey score (BMS) and the American Shoulder and Elbow score (ASES) were used to assess elbow function and pain, respectively. The joint status was analyzed using plain radiographs and MRI scans taken from all patients at recent follow-up. In addition, the ipsilateral knee joint was examined for donor-site morbidity using the Lysholm knee score. Results: 14 patients were evaluated with a mean follow-up of 7 years (range 3-14 years). The mean BMS was 95.1 (range 72-100) points. The ASES score also showed promising results: pain at worst 1.5 (range 0-5) points, pain at rest 0.4 (range 0-5) points, pain lifting loads 2.8 (range 0-8) points, repetitive movement pain 1.5 (range 0-8) points. The range of motion of the injured elbow was free and equal to the contralateral side. Signs of osteoarthritis could be found on plain radiographs in three patients. The MRIs at follow-up showed graft viability in all patients. However, a slight incongruency of the chondral surface could be detected in two patients. The average Lysholm score was 90.9 (range 0-70) points. Conclusions: Osteochondral transplantation in the elbow leads to both clinical and radiographic good-to-excellent mid-term results and therefore represents a reasonable treatment option for advanced osteochondral lesions in the elbow. Level of evidence: Retrospective study; Therapeutic Level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a transportable optical clock, based on laser-cooled strontium atoms trapped in an optical lattice. The experimental apparatus is composed of a compact source of ultra-cold strontium atoms including a compact cooling laser setup and a transportable ultra-stable laser for interrogating the optical clock transition. The whole setup (excluding electronics) fits within a volume of <2 m. The high degree of operation reliability of both systems allowed the spectroscopy of the clock transition to be performed with 10 Hz resolution. We estimate a relative uncertainty of the clock of 7 × 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commonly applied cell-based, two-dimensional (2D) in vitro resorption assays for biomaterials are limited in a variety of cases, including high initial roughness of material surface, uncontrollable solubilization (or resorption) of the entire material surface, or complex three-dimensional (3D) structure of the bioactive material itself. All these make the accurate assessment and successful selection of the optimal bone substitute material difficult. In vivo, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) has been widely applied for the analysis of bone physiology and pathology, as well as for the 3D analysis of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. In this study, we show that micro-CT can also be applied for the in vitro analysis of osteoclast-mediated resorption of biomaterials. For our experiments, we chose a calcium salt-composite (composite of calcium sulphate (CSC), calcium carbonate, glycerin-1,2,3-tripalmiate), which evades common 2D in vitro resorption analysis as a result of its high surface roughness and material composition. Human osteoclasts were differentiated from precursor cells on the surface of the material for 28 days. Cells were analyzed for expression of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP5b), multinuclearity, and size. Volumetric analysis of resorption was performed by micro-CT. Multinucleated osteoclasts developed on the surface of the material. TRAP5b expression of the cells on CSC was comparable with TRAP5b expression of cells cultivated on dentin for the first 3 weeks of culture. At day 28, TRAP5b expression, cell number, and size of the TRAP+ cells were reduced on the CSC when compared with cells on dentin. Volumetric anaylsis by micro-CT showed a strong cellular effect on resorption of CSC. We consider micro-CT to be a promising technique for 3D quantification of cell-based resorption that will allow the study of cellular resorption of materials in vitro, which were up to now confined to animal experimental analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives: To compare image noise, image quality and diagnostic accuracy of coronary CT angiography (cCTA) using a novel iterative reconstruction algorithm versus traditional filtered back projection (FBP) and to estimate the potential for radiation dose savings.Methods: Sixty five consecutive patients (48 men; 59.3 ± 7.7 years) prospectively underwent cCTA and coronary catheter angiography (CCA). Full radiation dose data, using all projections, were reconstructed with FBP. To simulate image acquisition at half the radiation dose, 50% of the projections were discarded from the raw data. The resulting half-dose data were reconstructed with sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE). Full-dose FBP and half-dose iterative reconstructions were compared with regard to image noise and image quality, and their respective accuracy for stenosis detection was compared against CCA.Results: Compared with full-dose FBP, half-dose iterative reconstructions showed significantly (p = 0.001 - p = 0.025) lower image noise and slightly higher image quality. Iterative reconstruction improved the accuracy of stenosis detection compared with FBP (per-patient: accuracy 96.9% vs. 93.8%, sensitivity 100% vs. 100%, specificity 94.6% vs. 89.2%, NPV 100% vs. 100%, PPV 93.3% vs. 87.5%).Conclusions: Iterative reconstruction significantly reduces image noise without loss of diagnostic information and holds the potential for substantial radiation dose reduction from cCTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the setup and test of a transportable clock laser at 698 nm for a strontium lattice clock. A master-slave diode laser system is stabilized to a rigidly mounted optical reference cavity. The setup was transported by truck over 400 km from Braunschweig to Düsseldorf, where the cavity-stabilized laser was compared to a stationary clock laser for the interrogation of ytterbium (578 nm). Only minor realignments were necessary after the transport. The lasers were compared using a Ti:Sapphire frequency comb as a transfer oscillator. The generated virtual beat showed a combined linewidth below 1 Hz (at 1156 nm). The transport back to Braunschweig did not degrade the laser performance, as was shown by interrogating the strontium clock transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Guide to the expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) was developed to meet the demand for a standardized way of evaluating and expressing uncertainties. The Davies and Gray (D&G) titrimetry method is routinely used in nuclear safeguards for uranium accountability measurement and a statement of the uncertainty that can reasonably be attributed to the measured assay value is therefore of importance. A mathematical model for an uncertainty evaluation of D&G measurements in compliance with ISO GUM is presented. This is illustrated by a numerical example and the utilization of the uncertainty budget is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We evaluated an algorithm for automatic selection of the cardiac phase with the least motion for image reconstruction at coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA). We analyzed data of 100 patients (49 female, mean age 59 years) who had undergone retrospectively ECG-gated CCTA. Two experienced observers visually identified the most suitable end-systolic and end-diastolic phases using a series of image reconstructions in 5% increments across the RR cycle. The same data were then reconstructed using an automatic phase finding algorithm based on a 4D weighting function of cardiac motion. On average, the algorithm determined the most suitable systolic reconstruction phase at 40.11 +/- 6.29% RR compared with 40.07 +/- 5.58% RR by the human observers (p = NS). The most suitable diastolic phase was found at 72.71 +/- 7.37% RR by the automatic algorithm, compared with 76.43 +/- 6.35% RR by the observers (p < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between automatically and visually determined reconstruction phases regarding motion and stair-step artifacts in either systole or diastole (p > 0.05). Thus, there appears to be no relevant difference between an automatic phase finding algorithm and visual selection by experienced observers for determining the phase with the least cardiac motion for CCTA image reconstruction. The use of automatic phase finding may therefore facilitate the performance of cardiac CT and reduce human error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Rhine valley, which stretches from the main Alpine crest to the Lake of Constance, was chosen as the target area to study unstationary aspects of foehn during the Special Observing Period (SOP) of the Mesoscale Alpine Programme (MAP). This large valley is up to 10 km wide and has some of the highest foehn frequencies in the European Alps. The MAP subprogram FORM ( FOehn in the Rhine valley during MAP) was designed to investigate various aspects of the foehn including the interaction of foehn flow with the boundary layer and the processes that remove the cold air pool. The subprogram was also focused on improving the understanding and forecasting of foehn-related phenomena such as waves and turbulence. A large number of in-situ and remote sensing observing systems were deployed to take measurements during the field phase of MAP. Among them were about 50 surface stations, up to 9 radiosonde stations, 2 wind profilers, 4 Doppler sodars, 2 scintillometers, 1 scanning and 1 backscatter lidar and different research aircraft. This paper gives an overview of the objectives of FORM, describes the target area and its instrumentation, and provides a detailed synoptic description of the 12 foehn cases observed during the MAP SOP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The study was performed to compare whole-body short time inversion recovery (STIR) MR imaging and (99m)Tc-methylene diphosphonate planar scintigraphy in the examination of children with suspected multifocal skeletal malignant lesions. Sixteen patients with known or suspected malignant skeletal disease underwent both whole-body STIR MR imaging and bone scintigraphy. The lesions were described and numbered according to scintigraphic evaluation criteria. Thus, 16 regions were analyzed in each patient for the comparison between the two modalities. Histology was proven in the primary malignant regions. Follow-up MRIs were registered. Scintigraphy and MRI follow-up were evaluated as gold standard. A total of 139 different lesions was observed by both modalities. Baseline whole-body MRI revealed 119 bone lesions in 256 possible sites (46.5%); scintigraphy revealed only 58 lesions (22.6%). Congruence was observed in only four patients (25%). According to the location of the lesion, correlation was observed in 39/139 lesions (28%). In all, 57.5% of the lesions were detected only by MRI and 14.5% of the lesions were detected only by scintigraphy. Whole-body MRI was more sensitive (P<0.001). Of all lesions numbered which could be separated in the initial MRI, whole-body MRI detected 178 lesions in the patients. The results suggest that whole-body MRI using a STIR sequence is an effective radiation free method for examination of children with suspected multifocal bone lesions. MRI showed more lesions than conventional (99m)Tc-methylene diphosphonate scintigraphy. Therefore, whole-body MRI may be feasible as a screening modality for metastatic and skip lesions in osteosarcoma, PNET, Ewing sarcoma and Langerhans cell histiocytosis in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was performed to compare whole-body short time inversion recovery (STIR) MR imaging and99mTc-methylene diphosphonate planar scintigraphy in the examination of children with suspected multifocal skeletal malignant lesions. Sixteen patients with known or suspected malignant skeletal disease underwent both whole-body STIR MR imaging and bone scintigraphy. The lesions were described and numbered according to scintigraphic evaluation criteria. Thus, 16 regions were analyzed in each patient for the comparison between the two modalities. Histology was proven in the primary malignant regions. Follow-up MRIs were registered. Scintigraphy and MRI follow-up were evaluated as gold standard. A total of 139 different lesions was observed by both modalities. Baseline whole-body MRI revealed 119 bone lesions in 256 possible sites (46.5%); scintigraphy revealed only 58 lesions (22.6%). Congruence was observed in only four patients (25%). According to the location of the lesion, correlation was observed in 39/139 lesions (28%). In all, 57.5% of the lesions were detected only by MRI and 14.5% of the lesions were detected only by scintigraphy. Whole-body MRI was more sensitive (P<0.001). Of all lesions numbered which could be separated in the initial MRI, whole-body MRI detected 178 lesions in the patients. The results suggest that whole-body MRI using a STIR sequence is an effective radiation free method for examination of children with suspected multifocal bone lesions. MRI showed more lesions than conventional99mTc-methylene diphosphonate scintigraphy. Therefore, whole-body MRI may be feasible as a screening modality for metastatic and skip lesions in osteosarcoma, PNET, Ewing sarcoma and Langerhans cell histiocytosis in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate reference data and to examine whether there were weight-, height-, age-, and sex-related differences of the quantitative ultrasound bone parameters for healthy children and adolescents. A total of 3299 healthy Caucasian children and teenagers (1623 girls and 1676 boys), age range from 6-18 years (mean age 11.4 +/- 3.4 years for boys and mean age 11.5 +/- 3.3 years for girls) were examined by quantitative ultrasound densitometry (QUS) using the bone sonometer SAHARA (Hologic Inc., Waltham, MA, USA), a waterless, dry system. The parameters broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) [dB/MHz] and speed of sound (SOS) [m/second] were evaluated on the right heel in relation to age, sex, weight, and height. There is no correlation between the ultrasound bone parameter SOS and age, height, and weight. BUA increases with age, height, and weight. Significant differences in SOS and BUA between girls and boys were found to probably be caused by the different onset of growth phases and the onset of puberty. SOS and BUA are influenced by changes of bone mineral density. But BUA is dependent on bone size, too. In conclusion, ultrasound bone densitometry is a useful measuring method showing the physiological bone development in childhood and adolescence. The presented results can be used as reference data. Further studies in children with disorders influencing bone metabolism will show in what way various patterns of osteopenia in childhood can be detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A combination of automated solid-phase extraction (SPE) and subsequent two-step derivatisation has been developed for the simultaneous analysis of basic drugs of abuse and cocaine metabolites in serum samples. Substances included in this procedure are morphine, codeine, methadone, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, methylecgonine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, MDEA and MDA. SPE with mixed-mode cartridges (RP-C8 and cation-exchange) was fully automated with a Zymark RapidTrace SPE robot. GC/MS analysis was performed after derivatisation with a new two-step reaction by trifluoroacetic anhydride and 2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropanol. High recoveries (> 85%) with high reproducibility ¶(CV 1.1–3.8%) were found for all drugs. High correlation coefficients ( r > 0.998) were obtained due to the addition of deuterated standards prior to extraction. Experience obtained over 2 years of applying this method to drug analysis in serum is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Zeitschrift für Herz-, Thorax- und Gefaesschirurgie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Herz-, Thorax- und Gefaesschirurgie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

At the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center, a monostatic Doppler SODAR has been operated near a 200 m high meteorological tower. Vertical profiles of the components of the wind vector and of the variances of the vertical wind and of the horizontal wind direction have been sampled continuously from the SODAR and the tower instruments as 30-min mean values. During seven episodes lasting more than 2 h, the instantaneous vertical wind speed was measured simultaneously by a sonic anemometer and the SODAR, and spectra were calculated. An intercomparison of the spectra and wind data measured directly by the SODAR and the tower instruments has been performed by a linear regression and correlation analysis referring to different height levels of measurement and stability classes. Systematic and statistically distributed differences among the data measured by the SODAR and the in situ instruments are discussed. Our investigation shows that the variance of only the vertical wind speed can be measured reliably by a SODAR. The variances of the horizontal wind direction and the elevation angle of the wind vector should not be used in a routine manner from a SODAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic embryos of soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are induced on immature cotyledons explanted onto a medium containing moderately high levels of auxin. Germinability of embryos is related to morphologic normality, and both are reduced by excessive exposure to auxin during the induction process. Shoot meristem development was improved by reducing exposure of cotyledonary explants from 30 to 10 to 14 d on 10 mg/liter α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). A 3-d exposure was sufficient to induce embryos, and embryo frequency was not significantly increased by exposures to NAA for more than 1 wk. Embryo frequency was enhanced, however, by transfer after 9 d to fresh medium containing 10 mg/liter NAA. Germination of morphologically normal embryos was achieved without growth regulators, after maturation for 1 mo. on hormone-free medium and desiccation for 1 wk in a sealed, dry container. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rechtsmedizin is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was treated in a dipolar-aprotic solvent like N,N-dimethylacetamide, or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) with p-toluenesulfonic acid yielding a high reactive gel-suspension of the polymer. This mixture allows a direct esterification of free hydroxyl groups of CMC as exemplified by acylation with carbonic acid chlorides, or anhydrides, and with isocyanates as well as by sulphation, phosphating and silylation. The products characterized by elemental analysis and FTIR spectroscopy possess a high degree of functionalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Herz-, Thorax- und Gefaesschirurgie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The substrate and inhibitor specificity of the lactic acid (Lac) transport system of human neutrophils was investigated. The ability of a variety of compounds to inhibit the influx of [14C]lactate, presumably reflecting competition by substrate analogues for binding at the external translocation site, was taken as an index of affinity for the Lac carrier. pH-state techniques were utilized to assess transportability. Results indicate a relatively low order of selectivity, the neutrophil H+(+)lactate- cotransport system demonstrating a broad acceptance of short-chain unsubstituted and substituted alkyl monocarboxylates as well as aromatic monocarboxylates. There was a slight preference for oxo, Cl, and OH substituents over other groups at the two-position of short chain alkyl fatty acids: all were readily transported across the plasma membrane at rates approaching that of L-lactate itself. Aromatic acids were not transported inward by the carrier although these compounds did permeate via simple nonionic diffusion. The neutrophil Lac carrier can be blocked by a number of cyanocinnamate derivatives, the classical inhibitors of monocarboxylate transport in mitochondria, and by dithiol compounds and sulfhydryl-reactive agents. This constellation of biochemical properties is similar to the features that characterize other well described H+(+)lactate- cotransport systems in red blood cells, Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, hepatocytes, and cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles, although significant differences exist when comparisons are made to the Na(+)-dependent lactate transporter of the kidney proximal tubule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The record of the interaction of cosmic ray particles with meteoroids in space is preserved in these objects in radioactive and stable nuclides. In order to determine the low concentrations of long-lived radionuclides such asBe ( T=1.6×10a),Al ( T=7.2×10a),Cl ( T=3.0×10a),Ca ( T=1.0×10a),Mn ( T=3.8×10a) andNi ( T=7.5×10a) in extraterrestrial material by means of accelerator-mass-spectrometry and neutron activation techniques, radiochemical separations with high decontamination factors of interfering isotopes have been developed. Detection limits are achieved down to 1×10 for isotopic ratio measurements. For absolute analytical techniques they could be lowered to 10g/g. The separation methods applied include ion exchange, solvent extraction as well as classical precipitation methods. The successful application of the procedure to problems in meteorite research is given by example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]