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Thermoset coatings have been used extensively to protect and enhance the appearance of substrates for industrial maintenance and architectural applications. Here, we demonstrate that anionic polymerization can be used to first graft hydroxyethyl methacrylate methylene malonate (HEMA-MM) onto a latex particle at ambient conditions, while subsequent ultraviolet (UV) exposure enabled their crosslinking into robust coatings. At room temperature, in the presence of air and water, the polymerization of HEMA-MM was initiated by anionic carboxyl groups present on the MAA latex particles and subsequently grafted onto the surface of particles. The pendent hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) group enabled UV-curing via free radical polymerization and the formation of a crosslinked network. Systematic investigations were conducted to study the formation and performance of the crosslinked coatings as a function of HEMA-MM incorporation. The incorporation of 10 wt% HEMA-MM into MAA latex yielded crosslinked coatings with decreased swelling, a heightened glass transition temperature (by ~20 °C) and a 2.9-fold improvement in the Young's moduli compared to controls (without HEMA-MM). Here, we demonstrate a facile method that provides a one-step grafting-functionalization approach using functional methylene malonates to produce UV-curable and high-performance coatings at room temperature and under atmospheric environments.

Background: Radium-223 improves overall survival and preserves quality of life in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastases. Radium-223 can be used in combination with a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogue and as part of a sequential treatment scheme if disease progresses after at least two prior lines of systemic mCRPC therapies or if no other available systemic treatment is eligible., Objectives: Today physicians are faced with a previously unknown multitude and complexity of options for the treatment of mCRPC. An increasing number of clinical trials contribute to the dynamics of the therapeutic landscape. Radium-223 was approved for mCRPC treatment in 2013. Up to now the recommendations of use have been adjusted several times. Highlighting recent clinical trials and practice, this paper explores the position of radium-223 within the therapeutic sequence and outlines key elements for the interdisciplinary cooperation between uro-oncologists and nuclear medicine specialists., Results: The mode of action of radium-223 does not depend on the androgen receptor (AR) pathway. Thus, it is an option in the therapeutic sequence when the efficacy of other agents is reduced by resistance. Furthermore, the efficacy of prior or subsequent medications are neither reduced nor enhanced by radium-223. The opportunity of an AR-independent and survival-prolonging medication should be taken as soon as the indication criteria are met because the incidence of visceral metastases increases during disease progression. According to current mCRPC guidelines, the osteoprotective use of bisphosphonates or denosumab is recommended, before treatment with radium-223 is started or resumed.

Introduction: Equine asthma represents a naturally occurring animal model for human allergic neutrophilic asthma. Inhalative nanoparticle-bound cytosine-phosphate-guanosine (CpG-GNP) immunotherapy, independent of specific allergens, has already shown promising clinical and immunological results in previous studies and offers the possibility to treat the underlying cause of the disease. This study analyses the relationship between dose and response, and evaluates a possible long-term effect., Methods: In the prospective, randomised, double-blind clinical field study, 29 horses suffering from equine asthma received 10 inhalation treatments with either 187.5 µg CpG-GNP (CpG single dose [CpGsd]; n = 11), 375 µg CpG-GNP double dose (CpG double dose [CpGdd]; n = 9) (q48h for 20 days) or 1600 µg beclomethasone (n = 9) (q24h for 10 days). Each horse was examined three times: before the treatment (I), immediately after the 10 inhalations (II), and 8 weeks after the final inhalation (III). The three groups were compared according to clinical and laboratory parameters. The study examined the sustainability of the long-term effect of the treatment after 8 weeks, as well as the tolerability of the formula as a double dose., Results: The CpGsd resulted in a significant improvement in 82% of the parameters, the CpGdd in 72%. In the long-term evaluation, the CpGsd showed a significant improvement in 100% of the parameters in comparison to the initial values, the CpGdd in 67%. On the immunological level, the bronchoalveolar lavage revealed a significant reduction of IL-4, IL-8, and interferon-γ., Conclusion: Both CpG groups displayed significant improvements in clinical and laboratory parameters, especially regarding the long-term effect of CpGsd. Doubling the CpG dose did not result in any improvement in comparison to the original single dose. On the immunological level, an anti-inflammatory, as well as an immunomodulatory effect, apart from a Th2-dominated immune response, could be observed. This immunomodulatory inhalation treatment could indicate a new possibility for human allergic asthma therapy., (© 2019 The Authors. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: Inhalation of immunostimulatory bacterial DNA segments (cytosine-phosphate-guanosine-oligodeoxynucleotides, CpG-ODN) normalizes clinical and cytologic parameters in severe equine asthma. We hypothesized that CpG-ODN inhalation also reduces the misbalance of elastinolytic activity in asthmatic horses., Methods: Twenty asthmatic horses diagnosed by clinical examinations using a scoring system were included. All horses inhaled CpG-ODNs for 14 days in 2-day intervals. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2/-9) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1/-2) concentrations were measured in tracheal aspirates using equine sandwich ELISAs before and 2 and 6 weeks after CpG-ODN inhalation., Results: MMP and TIMP concentrations correlated with the results of clinical scoring in all stages of equine asthma. Inhalation therapy led to significant reductions in clinical scores. MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP-2 concentrations were significantly reduced immediately, and all MMP and TIMP concentrations 6 weeks after therapy., Discussion: In equine asthma, overexpression of MMPs contributes to pathological tissue destruction, while TIMPs counteract MMPs with overexpression leading to fibrosis formation. The results of this study show that CpG-ODN inhalation may be an effective therapy to address a misbalance in equine asthma., Conclusions: Misbalance of elastinolytic activity seems to improve by CpG-ODN inhalation for at least 6 weeks posttherapy, which may reduce the remodeling of the extracellular matrix. Further studies should evaluate this effect in comparison to glucocorticoid inhalation therapy., Significance: CpG-ODN inhalation may be an effective therapy in the prevention of pulmonary fibrosis formation in equine asthma.

Here, we demonstrate the anionic polymerization and the high reactivity of the novel monomer diethyl methylene malonate (DEMM). At room temperature and under atmospheric conditions, water and anionic functional groups (i.e., carboxyl, boronic, and phenol) quickly initiate DEMM. The polymerization of DEMM in water and the final molecular weight of the polymer were both demonstrated to be pH-dependent. Systematically, investigations were conducted to study the conversion rate of DEMM with various functional groups, and the polymerization was verified to occur with anionic groups using a carboxylate-initiated DEMM system. For coating applications, we also investigated a multifunctional derivative monomer called (DEMM) 6 that is an oligomeric polyester of DEMM esterified with butanediol that contains on average six repeat units of reactive DEMM (commercially known as Forza B3000 XP). The incorporation of 15 wt % (DEMM) 6 into latex containing methacrylate acid as a functional monomer yielded cross-linked coatings with a gel content of 76.25 wt % that had a 289% improvement in rub-resistance performance compared to controls (without (DEMM) 6 ). This study provides a facile methodology to synthesize cross-linked latex coatings at room temperature.

Epoxy-based powder coatings are an attractive alternative to solvent-borne coatings. Here, in-house synthesized low glass transition temperature (T g ) particles containing epoxy resin and polymethyl methacrylate formed coatings at room temperature upon impact with a surface. Suspension polymerization was used to prepare particles as a function of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and methyl methacrylate ratios. Higher incorporation of DGEBA decreased the T g to below ~20°C and eliminated the need to heat the particles and/or aluminum substrates to form coatings. Using an electrostatic powder coating apparatus, a ~70% particle deposition efficiency was achieved on aluminum substrates heated to 200°C. Whereas, at room temperature, high-speed single particle impact experiments proved that particle bonding occurred at a critical velocity of 438 m/s, comparable to commercial cold spray technologies. The in-house synthesized particles used in this study hold potential in traditional and emerging additive manufacturing applications.

Männer mit Prostatakarzinom haben eine gute Prognose, wenn die Erkrankung in einem frühen Stadium erkannt und behandelt wird. In späteren Stadien steigt das Progressions- und Mortalitätsrisiko hingegen deutlich. Das gilt auch für das nicht-metastasierte kastrationsresistente Prostatakarzinom (M0CRPC, nm-CRPC), bei dem das Progressionsrisiko insbesondere bei kurzer PSA-Verdopplungszeit deutlich erhöht ist. Für entsprechende Patienten gab es lange - außer der klassischen Androgendeprivation - keine Therapieoptionen., (© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

In many industrial fields, like automotive and painting industry, the thickness of thin layers is a crucial parameter for quality control. Hence, the demand for thickness measurement techniques continuously grows. In particular, non-destructive and contact-free terahertz techniques access a wide range of thickness determination applications. However, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy based systems perform the measurement in a sampling manner, requiring fixed distances between measurement head and sample. In harsh industrial environments vibrations of sample and measurement head distort the time-base and decrease measurement accuracy. We present an interferometer-based vibration correction for terahertz time-domain measurements, able to reduce thickness distortion by one order of magnitude for vibrations with frequencies up to 100 Hz and amplitudes up to 100 µm. We further verify the experimental results by numerical calculations and find very good agreement.

Introduction: New therapeutic strategies to modulate the immune response of human and equine allergic asthma are still under extensive investigation. Immunomodulating agents stimulating T-regulatory cells offer new treatment options beyond conventional symptomatic treatment or specific immunotherapy for human and equine allergic airway diseases, with the goal of a homoeostatic T-helper cell balance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a nebulized gelatin nanoparticle-CpG formulation (CpG-GNP) with and without specific allergens for the treatment of spontaneous allergic equine asthma as a model for human asthma., Methods: Twenty equine asthma-affected horses were treated either with CpG-GNP alone or CpG-GNP with allergens. Two specific allergens were selected for each horse based on history and an in-vitro test. Each horse received seven administrations of the respective nebulized composition and was examined before treatment, immediately after and 6 weeks after the treatment course., Results: Clinical parameters such as breathing rate, indirect interpleural measurement, arterial blood gases, amount of tracheal mucus and percentage of neutrophils and cytokines in tracheal washes and serum samples were evaluated. Treatment with CpG-GNP alone as well as in combinations with relevant allergens resulted in clinical improvement of nasal discharge, breathing rate, amount of secretion and viscosity, neutrophil percentage and partial oxygen pressure directly after and 6 weeks after treatment. There were no significant differences between the two treatments in clinical parameters or local cytokine profiles in the tracheal wash fluid (IL-10, IFN-g, and IL-17). IL-4 concentrations decreased significantly in both groups., Conclusion: Nonspecific CpG-GNP-based immunotherapy shows potential as a treatment for equine and possibly also human allergic asthma., (© 2017 The Authors. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: To gain knowledge about the factors associated with discontinuation of scheduled treatment in elderly men with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)., Methods: Patients ≥ 70 years with CRPC starting a new line of treatment were included in a prospective cohort study. A geriatric assessment (CGA) was performed at baseline, including comorbidity, mobility, functional/mental/nutritional status, as well as depression. Furthermore, pain intensity, quality of life, ECOG-performance status, and physicians' and patients' perception of health were documented. Reasons for and factors associated with discontinuation of scheduled treatment were analysed by univariate and multivariate analysis., Results: After inclusion of 177 of 300 planned patients, the study was closed due to slow recruitment. 160 patients were eligible for final analysis. Median age was 77.5 years. 46% received chemotherapy, and 54% hormonal treatment. Discontinuation of scheduled treatment occurred in 91 patients (57.6%). The main reasons were progressive disease/death in 63%, adverse events/toxicity in 22%, and withdrawal of consent in 8%. In bivariate analyses, factors associated with discontinuation of treatment were age ≥ 80 years, ECOG PS ≥ 2, compromised/poor health status (physicians'/patients' assessment), and compromised functional or nutritional status. In multivariate analysis, the only remaining factor independently associated with discontinuation of scheduled treatment was impairment of activities of daily living (ADL < 100 points) (OR = 4.2 for discontinuation; p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Despite limitations due to early termination of the study, our results demonstrate that discontinuation of scheduled treatment was common, and that compromised ADL seems to be a significant risk factor for treatment failure in elderly patients with CRPC.

Salinity has a strong impact on bacterial community composition such that freshwater bacterial communities are very different from those in seawater. By contrast, little is known about the composition and diversity of the bacterial community in the sediments (bacteriobenthos) at the freshwater-seawater transition (mesohaline conditions). In this study, partial 16S-rRNA sequences were used to investigate the bacterial community at five stations, representing almost freshwater (oligohaline) to marine conditions, in the Baltic Sea. Samples were obtained from the silty, top-layer (0-2.5 cm) sediments with mostly oxygenated conditions. The long water residence time characteristic of the Baltic Sea, was predicted to enable the development of autochthonous bacteriobenthos at mesohaline conditions. Our results showed that, similar to the water column, salinity is a major factor in structuring the bacteriobenthos and that there is no loss of bacterial richness at intermediate salinities. The bacterial communities of marine, mesohaline, and oligohaline sediments differed in terms of the relative rRNA abundances of the major bacterial phyla/classes. At mesohaline conditions typical marine and oligohaline operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were abundant. Putative unique OTUs in mesohaline sediments were present only at low abundances, suggesting that the mesohaline environment consists mainly of marine and oligohaline bacteria with a broad salinity tolerance. Our study provides a first overview of the diversity patterns and composition of bacteria in the sediments along the Baltic Sea salinity gradient as well as new insights into the bacteriobenthos at mesohaline conditions.

Background: At the 2016 ASCO annual meeting, new data from two randomized phase III studies concerning taxane-based chemotherapy as a treatment option for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) were presented., Objectives: The focus is on the clinical impact of these data., Materials and Methods: A group of German experts in the field of urogenital-oncologic expertise discussed the clinical impact with respect to the current data., Results: The study results support the current clinical data. They confirm the efficacy and safety of cabazitaxel beyond first-line therapy with docetaxel for patients with mCRPC., Conclusions: Cabazitaxel is an important treatment option after docetaxel progression. With respect to the performance status of a patient, it is adequate to reduce the dosage to 20 mg/m 2 cabazitaxel.

Gels represent an increasingly important class of soft materials with applications ranging from regenerative medicine to commodity materials. However, gels typically exhibit relative mechanical weakness, which worsens under repeated strain. Here we report a new class of responsive gels with latent crosslinking moieties that exhibit strain-stiffening behavior. This property results from the lability of disulfides, initially isolated in a protected state, then activated to crosslink on-demand. The thiol groups are induced to form inter-chain crosslinks when subjected to mechanical compression, resulting in a gel that strengthens under strain. Molecular shielding design elements regulate the strain-sensitivity and spontaneous crosslinking tendencies of the polymer network. These strain-responsive gels represent a rational design of new advanced materials with on-demand stiffening properties and potential applications in elastomers, adhesives, foams, films, and fibers.

Background: Taxen-based chemotherapy has been established as an effective treatment option in castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer (mCRPC). Randomized phase III studies, however, have shown that even in the hormone-naïve metastatic state, the early use of chemotherapy in addition to the classical androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) approach leads to a significant increase in median overall survival., Objective: This position paper aims to provide current data and orientation in the evidence-based treatment of mPC patients in daily clinical practice., Materials and Methods: A German group of clinical experts analyzed the current data and developed criteria for the treatment of mPC patients in daily clinical practice., Results: In the current treatment of hormone-naïve mPC, a beneficial effect of chemotherapy in addition to ADT has become evident. Provided patients are in an appropriate condition, those with a high metastatic load should receive chemotherapy in addition to ADT. Especially in high-risk mCRPC patients (PSA >114 ng/ml, visceral metastasis, ADT response <12 months, tumor-associated complaints), first-line chemotherapy is indicated. After docetaxel failure, continuous treatment with cabazitaxel shows superior overall survival compared to sustained antihormonal therapy., Conclusion: Chemotherapy is firmly established in treating patients with mCRPC. Long-term, it will be important to identify molecular predictors. The authors suggest the early use of chemotherapy in hormone-naïve mPC, but note that the approval in this indication is currently nonexistent. After disease progression, patients should be treated analogous to mCRPC.

We present experimental results and a theoretical model for the gate-controlled spin-valve effect in carbon nanotubes with side-attached single-molecule magnets TbPc 2 (Terbium(III) bis-phthalocyanine). These structures show a giant magnetoresistance up to 1000% in experiments on single-wall nanotubes that are tunnel-coupled to the leads. The proposed theoretical model combines the spin-dependent Fano effect with Coulomb blockade and predicts a spin-spin interaction between the TbPc 2 molecules, mediated by conducting electrons via the charging effect. This gate-tuned interaction is responsible for the stable magnetic ordering of the inner spins of the molecules in the absence of magnetic field. In the case of antiferromagnetic arrangement, electrons with either spin experience the scattering by the molecules, which results in blocking the linear transport. In strong magnetic fields, the Zeeman energy exceeds the effective antiferromagnetic coupling and one species of electrons is not scattered by molecules, which leads to a much lower total resistance at the resonant values of gate voltage, and hence to a supramolecular spin-valve effect.

Reasons for Performing Study: New therapeutic strategies to modulate immune responses in human and equine allergic airway diseases are under extensive investigation. Stimulation of Treg cells with immune modulating agents is a novel therapeutic option., Objectives: The aim of this field study was to compare the effects of a nebulised nanoparticulate CpG immunotherapy (CpG-GNP) with and without specific allergens., Study Design: Longitudinal clinical study comparing 2 therapeutic options., Methods: Twenty RAO-affected horses were divided into 2 treatment groups (CpG alone and CpG with allergens). Two specific allergens were selected for each horse according to anamnesis and a functional in vitro test. Treatments were given by nebulisation 7 times and the horses were examined 3 times: baseline (I), after the treatment course (II), and after 6 weeks later (III). Clinical parameters, indirect intrapleural measurement, arterial blood gas, amount of tracheal mucus and neutrophil percentage were evaluated., Results: CpG alone resulted in a significant improvement in clinical parameters and a significant reduction of tracheal mucus after treatment and at 6 weeks post treatment. After CpG plus specific allergens, there was significant improvement of 70% of examined parameters. However, there were no significant differences in the results compared with CpG-GNP treatment alone., Conclusions: There were no significant differences between treatment groups. CpG-GNP immunotherapy alone produced a potent and persistent effect on allergic and inflammatory parameters and may have potential as for treatment of equine and human allergic inflammatory airway diseases. Ethical animal research: The study was approved by the regional legal agency for animal experiments of the Government of Bavaria, Germany (No. 55.2-1-54-2531-31-10). Owners gave informed consent for their horses' inclusion in the study. Sources of funding: Partly supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (Germany) (GE'2044/4-1). The AeroNeb Go™ vibrating mesh nebuliser (Aerogen, Galway, Ireland) was sponsored by Inspiration Medical (Bochum, Germany). Competing interests: None declared., (© 2015 The Author(s). Equine Veterinary Journal © 2015 EVJ Ltd.)

We discuss how leveraging Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology as part of a high performance computing platform reduces latency to meet the demanding real time constraints of a quantum optics simulation. Implementations of complex-valued operations using fixed point numeric on a Virtex-5 FPGA compare favorably to more conventional solutions on a central processing unit. Our investigation explores the performance of multiple fixed point options along with a traditional 64 bits floating point version. With this information, the lowest execution times can be estimated. Relative error is examined to ensure simulation accuracy is maintained.

Purpose: In the recent years, nanotechnology has boosted the development of potential drug delivery systems and material engineering on nanoscale basis in order to increase drug specificity and reduce side effects. A potential delivery system for immunostimulating agents such as cytosine-phosphate-guanine-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN) needs to be developed to maximize the efficacy of immunotherapy against hypersensitivity. In this study, an aerosol formulation of biodegradable, biocompatible and nontoxic gelatin nanoparticle-bound CpG-ODN 2216 was used to treat equine recurrent airway obstruction in a clinical study., Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was obtained from healthy and allergic horses to quantify Th1/Th2 cytokine levels before and after inhalation regimen. Full clinical examinations were performed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of this nebulized gelatin nanoparticle-based CpG formulation., Results: Most remarkable was that regulatory anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic cytokine IL-10 expression was significantly triggered by five consecutive inhalations. Thorough assessment of clinical parameters following nanoparticle treatment indicated a partial remission of the allergic condition., Conclusion: Thus this study, for the first time, showed effectiveness of colloidal nanocarrier-mediated immunotherapy in food-producing animals with potential future applicability to other species including humans.

The hyper-variable V4 and V9 regions of the small subunit (SSU) rDNA have been targeted for assessing environmental diversity of microbial eukaryotes using next generation sequencing technologies. Here, we explore how the genetic distances among these short fragments compare with the distances obtained from near full-length SSU-rDNA sequences by comparing all pairwise estimates, as well as within and among species of ciliates. Results show that pairwise distances from V4 more closely match the near full-length SSU-rDNA and are more comparable with previous studies based on much longer SSU-rDNA fragments, then pairwise distances from V9. Thus, studies that use the V4 will estimate similar values of phylotype richness and community structure as would have been estimated using the full-length SSU-rDNA., (© 2012 The Author(s) Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology © 2012 International Society of Protistologists.)

Delivering active ingredients using biocompatible and biodegradable carriers such as gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) to the lung constitutes a promising non-invasive route of administration. However, the pulmonary delivery of nanoparticle-based immunotherapy is still a field that requires more clarification. In this study, GNPs loaded with cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN)-loaded and plain GNPs were aerosolised either by a conventional pressured metered dose inhaler (pMDI) or by active or passive vibrating-mesh (VM) nebulisers. GNP sizes after nebulisation by active and passive VM nebulisers were 248.2 ± 7.34 and 222.3 ± 1.42 nm, respectively. GNP concentrations after aerosolisation were found consistent and second-stage particle deposition in an impinger was up to 65.68 ± 11.2% of the nebulised dose. VM nebulisers produced high fine particle fractions, while pMDIs did not. Nebulised CpG-ODN-loaded GNPs remained capable to stimulate IL-10 release (225.2 ± 56.3 pg/ml) in vitro from equine alveolar lymphocytes. Thus, a novel system for pulmonary GNP-mediated immunotherapy in vivo was established.

Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) in horses has become a common problem in stabled horses in industrialized countries and deserves new therapeutic strategies. CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODNs) were developed as effective immunostimulating agents to induce a Th2/Th1 shift. These agents showed a beneficial therapeutic effect in allergic diseases with predominant Th2 immunoresponse. CpG-ODN delivery by gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) resulted in enhanced cellular uptake in murine and human in vitro studies and was a starting point for the present trial. The aim of this study was to identify an optimal stimulating CpG motif in horses with regard to species specificity on equine bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells, in terms of a possible specific immunomodulation effect (Th2/Th1 shift) by used CpG-ODN. Accordingly, GNPs were evaluated as a delivery system to improve CpG-ODN immunostimulation in equine BAL cells. BAL fluid (BALF) was obtained from seven horses with moderate RAO and from four healthy horses and was subsequently incubated with five different CpG-ODN sequences (from A-, B- and C-class) and one ODN without any CpG motif. Release of three key cytokines (IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ) was quantified by ELISA to detect an allergy mediated Th2 immunoresponse (IL-4) as well as a proinflammatory Th1 response (IFN-γ). Due to its specific anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, IL-10 was considered as a beneficial agent in pathophysiology of RAO. Results showed a significant upregulation of IL-10 and IFN-γ on the one hand and a downregulation of IL-4 on the other hand in RAO affected horses. Cell cultures from healthy horses had a significantly stronger response in cytokine release to all the applied stimuli in contrast to RAO derived cells. Comparing all five CpG sequences, A-class 2216 significantly showed the highest immunomodulatory effects on equine BALF cells and, hence, was chosen for follow-up preliminary clinical studies., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We present a pulsed THz Imaging System with a line focus intended to speed up measurements. A balanced 1-D detection scheme working with two industrial line-scan cameras is used. The instrument is implemented without the need for an amplified laser system, increasing the industrial applicability. The instrumental characteristics are determined.

Systematic clinical reviews or meta-analyses offer scientifically valid sources of clinical information. They provide information in a concise form and can contribute to clinical quality management. Such studies, however, are only able to reflect the quality of the articles reviewed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of the neurosurgical literature according to evidence-based medicine (EBM) standards. We reviewed all articles published in 1999 in three major neurosurgical journals. These articles were subdivided according to the level of evidence (LOE) scale (from 0 to V), article type, and citation index. Nine hundred eighty-two articles were published in these journals in 1999. Of these, 346 (35%) were clinical studies, 287 (29%) case reports, 153 (16%) experimental studies, 122 (13%) technical reports, and 74 ( 8%) other types. Subdivision according to LOE was: Ia 0.3%, Ib 2.5%, IIa 0.2%, IIb 4.3%, IIc 9.5%, IIIa 0.1%, IIIb 3.9%, IV 22.4%, and V 1.6%. Fifty-five percent of all published studies were case reports, experimental studies, technical reports, or others and thus could not be subdivided according to the EBM standards. The number of articles published with high LOE seems to be rather low in 1999. If these data reflect overall publication practice, it seems unclear whether enough articles with high LOE are published to propose scientifically sound clinical treatment suggestions according to EBM standards.

Although the liquid- 4He-cesium system is a nearly ideal one for studying wetting phenomena, it can show extreme hysteresis which is profoundly nonideal in behavior. It is suggested that this is due to the roughness of these Cs surfaces. We show that stable micropuddles of liquid 4He can form in shallow cavities on a Cs surface. It is the potential to form micropuddles, as the liquid tries to recede, which pins the contact line due to the large energy needed to create the surface of a micropuddle. This model also accounts for the memory that these surfaces have of being in contact with liquid 4He.

Responsive hydrogel networks comprising of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) backbone and oligomeric ethylene glycol (PEG) grafts were synthesized by free-radical solution polymerization and their equilibrium swelling properties were characterized in aqueous solutions of a homologous series of alcohols. These hydrogels are known to exhibit swelling transitions in response to external stimuli which lead to formation or disruption of hydrogen-bonded complexes between the backbone and the grafts. Swelling studies performed in aqueous mixtures of methanol, ethanol and propanol revealed that the effectiveness of an alcohol in breaking the PMAA/PEG complexes increased as the aliphatic segment length of the alcohol was increased. These results confirm the importance of hydrophobic interactions for stabilizing the complexes. Studies performed to determine the effect of the synthesis conditions on the equilibrium swelling properties revealed that the equilibrium degree of swelling increased as the solvent fraction during synthesis was increased. Finally, molecular stimulations revealed that it is sterically possible to form complexes with a 1:1 stoichiometry between chains of poly(methacrylic acid) and poly(ethylene glycol) with essentially no additional bond strain.

With permanency planning taking the spotlight increasingly in the field of foster care, it becomes urgent to examine the definition of permanency, the effect on practice, and the implications for service delivery.