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It is well known that a considerable amount of radioiodine is exhaled after radioiodine therapy (RIT) leading to unwanted radiation exposure through inhalation for non-involved persons. This study focuses on the amount of exhalation in the breath-out air of RIT-patients and the dosimetric consequences. Furthermore, the correlation between radioiodine uptake and exhalation was investigated. The radioiodine species were collected in a filter system and quantified over time by measurements with a scintillation counter. The dosimetric implications were then studied for different exposure scenarios. Of the activity administered to the patient, approximately 10-3% (50-110 ppm) is exhaled. The radioiodine inhalation taking place following exhalation in the vicinity yields doses of up to 500 μSv (children, staying with the patient immediately after application and for the next 8 h). Three days after administration the doses are significantly reduced. This study lays emphasis on previous assumptions that exhalation depends on thyroid storage. Regardless of the type of thyroid disease, the predominant form exhaled is organic radioiodine. The amount of exhaled radioiodine is small but from the point of view of radiation protection, by no means negligible immediately after administration. Radiation doses received by incorporation of exhaled radioiodine can easily exceed 100 μSv soon after administration of radioiodine. Three days after RIT the radioactivity can still be measured in the exhaled air but even at maximum, the annual doses lie far below 10 μSv and are thus comparatively low.

Passive and active polarization elements were created by surface and bulk photo-alignment of LCs, reactive LCs, photo-sensitive LCP and photo-curable monomer/LC composites. The use of different photo­sensitive liquid crystalline materials for the development of highly anisotropic elements with high spatial resolution and stability or, alternatively, fast switch ability will be discussed. Photo-active and voltage tunable polarization and diffraction elements are presented. For active micro-optic application a photo-addressed patterned retarder was created. Electrically switchable diffraction gratings were generated by interference exposure of photo-curable LC composites at room temperature characterized by droplet free morphology. These polarization sensitive diffraction elements are characterized be excellent optical properties and low switching times.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors represent today's treatment of choice in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is regarded as salvage therapy. This prospective randomized CML-study IIIA recruited 669 patients with newly diagnosed CML between July 1997 and January 2004 from 143 centers. Of these, 427 patients were considered eligible for HSCT and were randomized by availability of a matched family donor between primary HSCT (group A; N=166 patients) and best available drug treatment (group B; N=261). Primary end point was long-term survival. Survival probabilities were not different between groups A and B (10-year survival: 0.76 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69-0.82) vs 0.69 (95% CI: 0.61-0.76)), but influenced by disease and transplant risk. Patients with a low transplant risk showed superior survival compared with patients with high- (P

Pain is the most common health-related complaint in older persons. International estimations mention up to 80% of nursing home residents suffering from pain. In the meantime, no reliable epidemiological data on pain in nursing home residents are available for Germany, because of restricted access to the nursing-home population. This pilot study aimed to evaluate whether routine data from a German statutory health insurance fund can be used to generate data on pain prevalence and analgesic therapy in nursing home residents. To this end, data of all insured persons of Deutsche BKK who received long-term care insurance benefits for nursing-home care between April and June 2007 were selected anonymously. These data were combined with data on diagnoses and analgesic prescriptions. 3 pain-related diagnoses were selected: R 52 (pain, not elsewhere classified), M 16 (coxarthrosis) and G 53.0 (postherpetic neuralgia) and analysed for corresponding prescriptions. The study sample shows similar characteristics regarding age distribution and care needs in terms of long-term care insurance benefits compared to the official data on nursing-home residents for Germany in 2007. The rate of dementia was within the expected range, too. Therefore, external validity of the sample is assumed. One of the 3 selected diagnoses had been documented in 15% of the sample. About 58% of those received an analgesic prescription. Deficits were discovered regarding the documentation of postherpetic neuralgia, the combination of different analgesics and prescriptions for adjuvant drugs. Prevalence rate and numbers of prescriptions were as frequent as expected. The routine method for this analysis proved to be practicable and reliable. Data quality is deemed sufficient so that the main study will proceed to include a longer period of time and additional data.

HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS A 29-year-old hemophiliac with HIV infection for which he was receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) with indinavir, zidovudine and zalcitabine reported increasing swelling of the neck. Physical examination noted a soft to doughy swelling, not sensitive to pressure, extending from the neck to between the shoulder blades. INVESTIGATIONS Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed the swelling to consist of an accumulation of subcutaneous fat without capsule. Cytology demonstrated benign fatty tissue. Blood triglycerides totalled 667 mg/dl. DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND COURSE The typical location, absence of a capsule and the cytological finding confirmed the clinical diagnosis of drug-induced benign symmetrical lipomatosis (BSL, also called peripheral lipodystrophy) in ART. A connection with the hyperlipoproteinaemia is supported by the observation that the patient used to have a normal fat metabolism; the onset of BSL coincided with a massive increase in triglyceride levels. The hyperglyceridaemia and clinical signs improved on a low-fat diet. CONCLUSIONS BSL can occur in the course of ART in HIV infection, when reverse-transcriptase inhibitors or protease inhibitors are being taken. Medication should not be changed, when antiretroviral treatment is adequate. To reduce the symptoms low-fat diet should be tried, as well as administration of HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitors or, if necessary, surgical liposuction.

In modern deep-submicron CMOS technologies voltage scaling can not keep up with the scaling of the dimensions of transistors. Therefore the electrical fields inside the transistors are not constant anymore, while scaling down the device area. The rising electrical fields bring up reliability problems, such as hot carrier injection. Also other long term degradation mechanisms like Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) come into the focus of circuit design. Along with process device parameter variations (threshold voltage, mobility), variations due to the degradation of devices form a big challenge for designers to build circuits that both yield high under the influence of process variations and remain functional with respect to long term device drift. In this work we present the influence of long term degradation and process variations on the performance of SRAM core-cells and parametric yield of SRAM arrays. For different use cases we show the performance degradation depending on temperature and supply voltage.

The electronic absorption and fluorescence spectra of two 4-donor/4′-acceptor substituted 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives in isotropic solvents (methanol, toluene), in a commercial mixture of low molecular mass liquid crystals – ZLI 1695 (MERCK, Darmstadt), and in a liquid-crystalline polysiloxane with 4-methoxy-4′-pentoxy-phenylbenzoate side-groups are presented and discussed. The orientational order parameters of the 1,3,4-oxadiazoles, dissolved in the liquid-crystalline films with uniform planar orientation of the mesogenic molecules and in aligned films of the polysiloxane, are determined. The possibility of application in OLEDs of the 1,3,4-oxadiazoles dissolved in homogenously oriented liquid-crystalline polymers is suggested.

It is well known that a considerable amount of radioiodine is exhaled after radioiodine therapy (RIT) leading to unwanted radiation exposure through inhalation for non-involved persons. This study focuses on the amount of exhalation in the breath-out air of RIT-patients and the dosimetric consequences. Furthermore, the correlation between radioiodine uptake and exhalation was investigated. The radioiodine species were collected in a filter system and quantified over time by measurements with a scintillation counter. The dosimetric implications were then studied for different exposure scenarios. Of the activity administered to the patient, approximately 10

In today's decananometer (90 nm, 65 nm, ...), CMOS technologies variations of device parameters play an ever more important role. Due to the demand for low leakage systems, supply voltage is decreased on one hand and the transistor threshold voltage is increased on the other hand. This reduces the overdrive voltage of the transistors and leads to decreasing read and write security margins in static memories (SRAM). In addition, smaller dimensions of the devices lead to increasing variations of the device parameters, thus mismatch effects increase. It can be shown that local variations of the transistor parameters limit the functionality of circuits stronger than variations on a global scale or hard defects. We show a method to predict the yield for a large number of SRAM devices without time consuming Monte Carlo simulations in dependence of various parameters (Vdd, temperature, technology options, transistor dimensions, ...). This helps the designer to predict the yield for various system options and transistor dimensions, to choose the optimal solution for a specific product.

Films of liquid crystalline copoly(methacrylate)s with photochromic azobenzene and benzanilide side groups and related terpolymers with additional dye side groups were oriented by the irradiation with linearly polarized visible or, alternatively, UV light. The orientational behaviors of the terpolymers with benzoxazole, stilbene, and anthracene moieties were compared. The irradiation conditions for the photoorientation process were optimized concerning wavelength and dose with respect to the absorption of the dyes and their limited photostability. Caused by the cooperativity of the photoorientation process, the light-induced ordering of the azobenzene group is connected with the alignment of the nonphotochromic co-mesogenic and the dye side groups even below the glass transition temperature. The light-induced orientational order generated in the glassy state was significantly amplified by the subsequent annealing of the irradiated films at temperatures within the mesophase of the co- and terpolymers. Amplification factors up to 30 were found in this series of polymers. The photoinduction process and the subsequent amplification by thermotropic self-organization were investigated in dependence of the polymer composition, the irradiation dose, and the wavelength of the incident light. The required dose or the irradiation time was significantly reduced by the optimization of light-induced and thermal processing, respectively. In this way, dichroic polymer films containing different types of dyes were created.

The purpose of our study was (i) to evaluate the impact of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) given as adjunct to chemotherapy and (ii) to compare second consolidation vs maintenance therapy in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A total of 242 patients agedor=61 years (median, 66.6 years) with AML were randomly assigned to ATRA beginning on day +3 after the initiation of chemotherapy (ATRA-arm, n=122) or no ATRA (standard-arm, n=120) in combination with induction and first consolidation therapy. A total of 61 patients in complete remission (CR) were randomly assigned to second intense consolidation (n=31) or 1-year oral maintenance therapy (n=30). After induction therapy the intention-to-treat analysis revealed a significant difference in CR rates between the ATRA- and the standard-arm (52 vs 39%; P=0.05). Event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly better in the ATRA-compared to the standard-arm (P=0.03 and 0.01, respectively). OS after second randomization was significantly better for patients assigned to intensive consolidation therapy (P0.001). The multivariate model for survival revealed lactate dehydrogenase, cytogenetic risk group, age, and first and second randomization as prognostic variables. In conclusion, the addition of ATRA to induction and consolidation therapy may improve CR rate, EFS and OS in elderly patients with AML.

Zusammenfassung Ziel: Beschreibung der Charakteristika vom Hausarzt zum Spezialisten überwiesener Patienten mit Verdacht auf Beinvenenthrombose (TVT) sowie das weitere Vorgehen beim Spezialisten. Patienten und Methode: Von August 2001 bis April 2003 wurden prospektiv alle vom Hausarzt zum Thromboseausschluss überwiesenen Patienten in einer gefäßchirurgisch-phlebologischen Schwerpunktpraxis bezüglich Anamnese, körperlicher Untersuchung und weiterer Diagnostik standardisiert erfasst. Ergebnisse: 114 Patienten (Alter 15-91, 72 Frauen) wurden rekrutiert. 40% der Patienten waren hausärztlich mit einer Kompressionstherapie versehen worden, 18% hatten eine Heparin-Antikoagulation erhalten. Bei den Beschwerden standen Schmerzen (88%) und Schwellungen (71%) im Vordergrund; bei der körperlichen Untersuchung Wadendruckschmerzen (40%) und Umfangsdifferenzen der Beine (56%). Klinische Zeichen wiesen keine ausreichende Spezifität für einen Thromboseausschluss auf. In 12 Fällen (10,5%) konnte eine TVT nachgewiesen werden. Häufigste Differenzialdiagnosen waren die Stamminsuffizienz (33%) sowie (pseudo-) radikuläre Beschwerden (20%). Schlussfolgerungen: Der Anteil an Patienten mit nachgewiesener TVT fiel relativ gering aus. Die körperliche Untersuchung allein ist jedoch zum Ausschluss einer TVT ungeeignet, so dass Hausärzten auf Grund des Gefährdungspotenzials dieser Erkrankung zurzeit keine Alternative zur weiteren Abklärung durch Spezialisten bleibt. Die Anwendung des D-Dimer-Tests in Verbindung mit klinischen Zeichen könnte eine Alternative in der Primärversorgung sein, um Ressourcen zu sparen. Eine Evaluation dieses Vorgehens steht jedoch aus.

Background and objective The gate-keeping role of general practitioners (GPs) is currently the topic of much debate in Germany. Currently it is possible for patients in Germany to see a specialist either through referral by their GP or directly through self-referral. To determine whether the gate-keeping role of GPs has a filtering effect, we compared patients referred by their GPs with self-referred patients presenting with suspected chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) to a specialist practice. Patients and methods From September to December 2001, we prospectively recruited 316 patients seen for suspected CVI in a specialist practice for vascular surgery and phlebology. Symptoms and clinical findings were recorded using a standardized form. Results 58.2 % of patients were referred by their GPs. These patients were on average 6 years older and presented at a more advanced stage of disease than self-referred patients. No difference was found between patients with and without referral with respect to the symptoms reported or the therapy recommended by the specialist. CVI was excluded in 7.1 % of patients with a referral and in 6.8 % of those without a referral. Conclusions The majority of patients consulting a specialist were referred by their GP. The more advanced disease stage of these patients indicates that a filtering process occurs in referral by GPs. However, the share of patients without referrals in whom CVI could be excluded was low and not significantly different from that of patients with referrals. This indicates that misdiagnosis due to self-referral is relatively modest. A cost reduction effect in a gate-keeper system could therefore only be small.

Optically anisotropic films of side-group liquid crystalline copolysiloxane doped with photochromic azobenzene and stilbene derivatives were prepared by using standard liquid crystal cells of 4 μm in thickness. The films were irradiated with high power density laser light with the electric field vector creating an angle equal to 45° with the initial optical axis of the samples. As a result of irradiation, the photoorientation of the photochromic molecules, and the cooperative reorientation of the copolysiloxane side groups occurred. In the case of the copolymer layers containing azobenzene, the optical axis was turned by an angle of 45° during sufficiently long irradiation. The angle of reorientation and the degree of anisotropy were determined for the irradiated areas of the samples.

ZusammenfassungZiel: Die Varikothrombophlebitis (VTP), auch superfizielle Thrombophlebitis genannt, ist eine häufige Komplikation der fortgeschrittenen Varikosis. Neben den symptomatischen Beschwerden geht von der VTP ein erhebliches thromboembolisches Risiko aus. Therapeutisches Ziel sollte die Reduzierung des Thromboembolierisikos und der entzündlichen Beschwerden sein. Sowohl im Vergleich mit konservativen als auch mit zweizeitigen chirurgischen Verfahren, die zunächst die Vena saphena magna oder parva an ihrer Einmündung in das tiefe Venensystem ligieren und im Intervall eine Stripping-Operation anschließen, führt das einzeitige Vorgehen mit zusätzlicher Stripping-Operation nach ersten Studien zu rascherer Linderung der symptomatischen Beschwerden. Patienten und Methode: Primäres, einzeitiges Vorgehen mittels Kryovariektomie bei 65 ambulanten Patienten in einer gefäßchirurgischen Praxis, die im Beobachtungszeitraum 1998 bis 2001 behandelt wurden (44 mit Stadium I nach Verrel, 20 mit Stadium II, 1 Patient mit Stadium IV). Ergebnisse: Relevante Komplikationen traten nicht auf. Nach einer Woche waren etwa 97% der Patienten weitgehend beschwerdefrei. In über 90% der Fälle war die VTP bis auf Restbefunde abgeheilt. Bei drei Patienten war eine anschließende Seitenastvariektomie auf Grund von Restbefunden notwendig. Im Nachbeobachtungszeitraum von drei Monaten kam es bei einer Patientin zu einer tiefen Beinvenenthrombose, bei der nachträglich ein Faktor-V-Leiden nachgewiesen wurde. Schlussfolgerung: Die vorliegenden Resultate sind ein Hinweis dafür, dass die ambulante Kryovariektomie der VTP ein bezüglich des Thromboserisikos sicheres und die Symptomatik der Patienten rasch linderndes Verfahren darstellt.

The investigations show that it is possible to develop hybrid light filters which could be switched by solar as well as by electrical energy. The light filters are based on thermotropic gels changing their transmission depending on the concentration of the cross-linker from 60% to 80% to ⩽1% in the temperature range 29–36°C. Detailed investigations of the electrical switching process show that the switching times significantly decrease with increasing thickness of the tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) used as transparent electrodes. The switching times could be varied from 3 to over 50 min. Furthermore the required wattage for the switching process significantly decreases with increasing thickness of the ITO-layers. A gel layer having a thickness of 2 mm is quite enough to realize changes in the transmission from about 62% to ⩽1%. Comparable results were obtained for light filters having a size of either 25 or 180 cm 2 , respectively. Therefore, it should be possible to transfer these results to light filters having a size of 0.5-1 m 2 .

Lyotropic liquid crystalline gels based on a polyalkoxy derivative with a middle molecular weight of 4800 can be used for the development of smart windows. Inorganic salts added to the polymer/ water mixture have a strong influence on temperature-transmission behaviour. Changes in transmission are based on phase transitions as well as on phase separations. The results of our studies show that the detailed knowledge of the influence of salt concentration on the temperature of the phase separation permits researchers to develop systems which change their transmission from clear to cloudy at any desired temperature, Based on the gel systems studied, it is possible to develop intelligent windows which change their transmission values from ≥ 95% to almost 0% in the temperature range between 25 and 50°C, thus allowing them to work as intelligent shadow-givers.

Purpose: In contrast to routine recommendations initial studies have now demonstrated that pregnancy prolongation in patients with HELLP syndrome may offer certain advantages. Since fetal prognosis depends on the gestational time of delivery, the question of a conservative management in patients with HELLP syndrome is of great importance. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of pregnancy prolongation on the maternal and fetal course of HELLP syndrome. Study design: Thirty-eight consecutive patients with HELLP syndrome were prospectively studied during prolongation of pregnancy and were compared with a control group comprising twenty patients with HELLP syndrome in whom pregnancy was terminated by delivery within 12 hours after admission. Inclusion criteria for the diagnosis HELLP syndrome were the simultaneous occurrence of a platelet count less than 100.00/μl, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) above 40 U/I, and a significant haemolysis as reflected by haptoglobin levels below 50 mg/dl. Exclusion criteria of prolongation were acute fetal distress symptoms, disseminated intravascular coagulation or imminent eclampsia. The aim of the study was to prolong pregnancies less than 32 nd week of gestation and to stabilize HELLP syndrome associated symptoms in women beyound the 32 nd week of gestation before their pregnancies were terminated. All patients belonging to the study group received a daily dosage of 40 mg i.v. methylprednisolone. The controls did not receive any steroids. The patients of both groups were treated, if necessary, with dihydralazine and/or magnesium sulfate. Results: Pregnancies of patients of the study group were prolonged over a median period of 6.5 days. Patients of pregnancies below the 32 nd week of gestation were prolonged over a median period of 12.0 days. In case of imminent fetal asphyxia and/or imminent eclampsia pregnancies were terminated at admission in five patients. Likewise, in prolonged pregnancies these were terminated due to severe maternal preeclamptic symptoms in three cases. Both, prolongation of pregnancy versus immediate delivery in the controls led to a comparable improvement of biochemical parameters of HELLP syndrome. In the study group the maternal platelet count increased from 69 800 ± 23 000/μl (vs. controls: 61900 ± 32 900/μl) to 231900/ μl. AST decreased from 129 ± 143 U/l (vs. 130 ± 114 U/l) to 14 ± 4.6 U/l. LDH decreased from 548 ± 353 U/l (vs. 665.8 ± 201.5 U/ L) to 263 ± 94 U/l. Haptoglobin increased from 17.0 ± 12.1 mg/dl (vs. 12.5 ± 8.6) to 91.5 ± 12.5 mg/dl (n.s. vs. controls). Conclusion: The results demonstrat that conservative management of HELLP syndrome can normalise clinical and biochemical pathology and can also contribute to a reduction of maternal and fetal risk. Particularly fetuses of low gestational age may benefit, due to additional maturation, from the prolongation of pregnancies. The mechanisms of the clinical improvement during prolongation are still not clear. Additional extensive studies should evaluate corresponding risks of this management and should define inclusion criteria for prolongation. Furthermore the effect of different existing therapeutic regimes (steroid vs. non-steroid therapy) on the course of pregnancies complicated by HELLP syndrome should be investigated.

The order and deactivation of excited electronic states of β-alkylated oligothiophenes consisting of n = 4, 8, 12 and 16 thiophene rings are investigated by absorption spectroscopy as well as by steady state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Transition energies in oligothiophenes are linearly dependent on reciprocal chain-length only for n n > 8, chain-length dependence is correctly described by calculations which take alternating bond-lengths into account. β-Alkylation leads to enhanced nonplanarity in the ground state and thus to blue-shifted absorption maxima. Due to the quinoid structure of the excited state, which leads to planarization, fluorescence maxima are not blue-shifted versus unsubstituted oligothiophenes. In solution, up to the longest chain under investigation, n = 16, the 1B u state is energetically below the 2A g state, as inferred from comparison of radiative rate constants of fluorescence and absorption according to the Strickler-Berg relationship. 113, is also below 2A g in the solid state, as concluded from the coincidence of the 0-0-transitions of absorption and fluorescence.

Intensive consolidation versus oral maintenance therapy in patients 61 years or older with acute myeloid leukemia in first remission: results of second randomization of the AML HD98-B treatment Trial

A polyglutamate with photochromic azobenzene side groups combines thermotropic properties with the capability to form Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) multilayers. On irradiation with linearly polarised light the azobenzene side groups may be reoriented in spin-coated films and LB multilayers perpendicular to the electric field vector of the incident light. But the photochemically induced reorientation process depends strongly on the supramolecular order and on the irradiation conditions. Thus, the stable nematic-like order of the ‘hairy rod’ backbones restricts the photo-reorientation process of the azobenzene side groups within the LB multilayer, in contrast to the spin-coated film. In this case the degree of the photo-induced anisotropy depends on the primary orientational order of the multilayer, the molecular aggregation of the azobenzene moieties and on the conditions of light exposure. The photo-reorientation process becomes more efficient after weakening the intermolecular interactions by a suitable preparation of the films or by an intermediate photochemical decoupling of the supramolecular order caused by an ultraviolet irradiation step.

The chemical interaction of ester and urethane compounds as models for polyurethanes with chromium dioxides and aluminum oxides was investigated. The pigment was coated by suspending it in a solution of the model compound and evaporating the solvent. The amount of the compound remaining after contact with a pigment was determined by gas chromatography. The ester and urethane compounds can be extracted from the pigments in yields of 95–100% with dioxane. They decompose in contact with the pigments by a hydrolytic process. The oxidative potential of the unstabilized chromium dioxide causes an oxidation of the products of hydrolysis. The rate of decomposition is influenced by the temperature, by the water content in the system, by a structural modification of the model compound, and by surface modification of the pigment. The kinetics of decomposition follows a pseudo-first-order process in systems with a water surplus. In the presence of acidic aluminum oxide, adipic acid-di-n-butylester (ADnBE) will decompose faster than will phenylcarbamide acid-n-butylester (PCnBE), whereas the rate of decomposition in contact with basic aluminum oxide is much faster and without any difference between the ester and urethane compound. The surface modification of the pigment has the best effect on the reduction of the decomposition rate as shown with the stabilized chromium dioxide. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 2449–2455, 1997

Optically isotropic films of liquid crystalline and amorphous copolymers containing azobenzene moieties were prepared and irradiated with linearly polarized light, thus generating an orientational order of the photochromic side groups. This process was compared with the photoinduced modification of the optical anisotropy in aligned liquid crystalline polymer films. It was demonstrated that the photo-orientation of the photochromic side groups resulted in a re-orientation of non-photochromic, rod-like side groups by a co-operative mechanism of this process even in the glassy state. Thus high optical anisotropy values were induced in initially isotropic films. The absolute values of the anisotropy and the kinetics of the induction process were investigated as a function of the structural features of the polymers.

Amphotropic polymers with photochromic azobenzene side groups like 2-hydroxyethyl polyacrylates and “hairy rod” polyglutamates combine amphiphilic and thermotropic properties. Upon UV irradiation the initial double layer structures were irreversibly destroyed by the E–Z photoisomerization. New ordered structures with modified spacing, in-plane anisotropy and surface topology were generated by a subsequent Vis irradiation step. Optical anisotropy was modified due to a photo-orientation process on irradiation with linearly polarized Vis light. Relations between photoinduced modification and thermotropic self-organization are demonstrated for Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) layers of both types of polymers. The dependence of the photoinduced reorientation process on the structure, supramolecular order and the aggregation of the azobenzene moieties is shown for the different ordered LB systems.

Thermotropic polyglutamates with photochromic azobenzene side groups are polymers of the “hairy rod” type. They form LB multilayer assemblies, in which the rod-like macromolecules are oriented in the dipping direction. The initial LB films have a well-defined bilayer structure in which the rod-like azobenzene moieties are tilted toward the α-helical backbones and form H-aggregates. The change of aggregation and orientational order of the azobenzene chromophores is studied for polyglutamates with different spacer lengths upon irradiation and annealing. The lamellar order and in-plane anisotropy of the chromophores is irreversibly lost on UV irradiation. New ordered structures with a more symmetric distribution of the side chains around the main chain helix, a modified spacing, changed aggregation, and a different in-plane anisotropy are established after subsequent vis irradiation or annealing. The established supramolecular order strongly depends on the spacer length. A shorter spacer (C2) between the bac...

The requirements on the radiation source, the monochromator/mirror, the diffractometer, and the crystal dispersive analyzer for an optimum instrumentation dedicated to high resolution resonant inelastic scattering experiments are formulated. The possibility for the application of dispersion compensation is stressed. A provisional instrumentation at the HARWI–Compton beamline is described and test measurements of the resonant inelastic scattering cross section of Cu for incident photon energies scanning across the K threshold and for scattered photon energies near the Kα1 line are reported. By means of model calculation the important role of correct absorption correction of resonant inelastic scattering data is emphasized.

The light-induced modification of the optical properties of photochromic liquid crystalline (side-group) polymers (LCPs) containing azobenzene moieties was studied. Films of such polymers were irradiated with unpolarized and linearly polarized light. Unpolarized irradiation results in a modification of the order parameter, whereas the director orientation remains constant. The light-induced disturbance of the supramolecular order is strongly dependent on the structure of the polymer. A correlation with the enthalpic stability of the liquid crystalline phases is given. Linearly polarized irradiation causes a modification of the order parameter and a reorientation of the side-groups towards a direction perpendicular to the electric vector of the actinic light. This reorientation process is caused by an angular-dependent photoselection within the steady state of the photoisomerization of the azobenzene units. The amount and kinetic of the reorientation differ considerably as a function of certain structural features of the polymers, such as the content of photochromic moieties and the lengths of the spacer chains between the polymeric backbone and the rod-like moieties. It is shown that under certain circumstances the angular-dependent photoselection process may cause a reorientation of the non-photochromic moieties by a cooperative process. The result is a light-induced rotation of the optical axis of the LCP and thus an efficient modification of the birefringent and dichroic properties. This effect can be used in optical data storage.

High resolution depth microscopy with swift heavy ions is performed at the Munich tandem accelerator and its Q3D magnetic spectrograph using the elastic recoil detection technique. The method gives the possibility to analyze elemental and isotopic concentration profiles of light and medium heavy atoms in thin films and at interfaces. A monitor detector has been installed in the scattering chamber of the Q3D in order to get the relative elemental content for the high resolution depth profiles without absolute knowledge of beam current and charge yields. It is a detector telescope which consists of an ionisation chamber for energy loss and a silicon detector for a residual energy measurement in order to obtain the nuclear charge of the detected target atoms. Depth microscopy was applied for quantitative analysis of concentration profiles at the interfaces between a-Si : H and a-SiC : H layers. Hydrogen profiles can directly be compared to carbon and oxygen profiles showing an excess hydrogen content at the interface between the two layers.

The adsorption behaviour of a polyurethane-elastomer (PUR) and a chlorinated poly(vinylchloride) (CPVC) on unstabilized magnetic chromium dioxide is described. The polymers were adsorbed on chromium dioxide from a solution of tetrahydrofuran individually or as a mixture. The polyurethane is preferably adsorbed, and it is able for displacing CPVC in the adsorption layer. An enriching of CPVC in the phase boundary layer to chromium dioxide by process engineering parameters is not succeeded. Partial cross-linking of the adsorption layer was registered during storage under the effect of temperature and humidity. Das Adsorptionsverhalten eines Polyurethan-Elastomers und eines chlorierten Poly(vinylchlorid)s (CPVC) an unstabilisiertem magnetischen Chromdioxid wird beschrieben. Die Polymere wurden aus einer Tetrahydrofuranlosung einzeln oder als Mischung an dem Chromdioxid adsorbiert. Polyurethan wird bevorzugt adsorbiert und kann das CPVC in der Adsorptionsschicht ersetzen. Die Anreicherung von CPVC in der Phasengrenzschicht zum Chromdioxid durch Variation der Prozesparameter gelang nicht. Bei langerem Lagern der Proben wurde eine teilweise Vernetzung der Adsorptionsschicht unter dem Einflus von Temperatur und Luftfeuchte beobachtet.

Pain is the most common health-related complaint in older persons. International estimations mention up to 80% of nursing home residents suffering from pain. In the meantime, no reliable epidemiological data on pain in nursing home residents are available for Germany, because of restricted access to the nursing-home population. This pilot study aimed to evaluate whether routine data from a German statutory health insurance fund can be used to generate data on pain prevalence and analgesic therapy in nursing home residents. To this end, data of all insured persons of Deutsche BKK who received long-term care insurance benefits for nursing-home care between April and June 2007 were selected anonymously. These data were combined with data on diagnoses and analgesic prescriptions. 3 pain-related diagnoses were selected: R 52 (pain, not elsewhere classified), M 16 (coxarthrosis) and G 53.0 (postherpetic neuralgia) and analysed for corresponding prescriptions. The study sample shows similar characteristics regarding age distribution and care needs in terms of long-term care insurance benefits compared to the official data on nursing-home residents for Germany in 2007. The rate of dementia was within the expected range, too. Therefore, external validity of the sample is assumed. One of the 3 selected diagnoses had been documented in 15% of the sample. About 58% of those received an analgesic prescription. Deficits were discovered regarding the documentation of postherpetic neuralgia, the combination of different analgesics and prescriptions for adjuvant drugs. Prevalence rate and numbers of prescriptions were as frequent as expected. The routine method for this analysis proved to be practicable and reliable. Data quality is deemed sufficient so that the main study will proceed to include a longer period of time and additional data.

Rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) developed a post-infectious chronic membranous glomerulonephritis 15 months after they had been experimentally infected with Renibacterium salmoninarum. Histologically, peritubular and periglomerular fibrosis, hypercellular glomeruli with occluded Bowman's space, and partial or complete adhesion to Bowman's capsule were constant features. Electron microscopy revealed thickened glomerular basement membranes with spikes accompanied by finely granular electron-dense deposits at the epithelial side and dense material in the mesangial matrix. Indirect immunofluorescence indicated linear immunoglobulin deposits along the glomerular basement membrane. The presence of R. salmoninarum was demonstrated by culture and by indirect immunofluorescence. Low serum hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody titers were demonstrated.

In November 1987 high losses of carp (Cyprinus carpio) with the main symptom of skin ulcera were observed in a farm in northern Greece. Sixty-six isolates of bacteria, characterized mainly as Aeromonas hydrophila or Pseudomonas spp. could be isolated from lesions of diseased fish. Transmission experiments with these isolates using mirror carp showed that Aeromonas hydrophila strains induced identical clinical and pathological pictures after intra- or subcutaneous injection. Extracts of these Aeromonas hydrophila isolates, as well as a supernatant of culture bouillon were toxic for carp and mice, indicating the presence of endo- and exotoxins. The results prove that carp erythrodermatitis (CE) may be caused by different bacteria, mainly including A. hydrophila.

We complete an expression of the dielectric response function χ( Q , ω) of the electron gas, which has been derived in an earlier paper and derive to the same order the longitudinal spin response function χ zz ( Q , ω). The local field corrections of these response functions will be discussed in the large wave number limit. Using exact relations of Niklasson and of Zhou and Overhauser we obtain the value of the pair distribution function g ( r ) at r = 0 in agreement with Kimball's result. Further we answer to some criticism concerning earlier work, raised recently in this journal.

Myxobolus cotti (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) is described as found in the central nervous system of the bullhead (Cottus gobio) caught in the Alpine lake Königssee and in a brook in the Bavarian Forest, Federal Republic of Germany (El-Matbouli and Hoffmann 1987). Aggregations of spores and polysporoblastic trophozoites compressed and replaced large areas of the white and grey matter of the brain and spinal cord. These aggregations may be surrounded by a thin, connective tissue capsule; in a few cases they were associated with loose infiltrates of glial cells. Neither conspicuous tissue reactions nor inflammatory responses were evident. No other organs were seen to be infected with M. cotti. Mature spores are oval, with a tapering anterior end, and the pyriform polar capsules are nearly equal in size. Fresh spores measured 8.9-15.1 microns in length (mean, 12.4 microns) and 8-12.4 microns in width (mean, 9.6 microns); polar capsules were 4.3-9 microns long (mean, 6.4 microns) and 2-3.8 microns wide (mean, 2.9 microns). Light microscopy, the ultrastructure of pansporoblasts, sporogenesis and mature spores are described.

Using pharmacological tests or GH profiles, GH deficiency or active acromegaly can be diagnosed. However, it is impossible to discriminate within the continuum between ‘deficiency/insufficiency’ and ‘

The photoreorientation effect in thin films of a liquid crystalline side-group polysiloxane with an azobenzene derivative admixture of the pseudo-stilbene type is presented. The film is introductory homogenously aligned in a typical liquid crystal cell of 3 µm in thickness due to rubbed polyimide coatings. The molar concentration of the azobenzene derivative, calculated per monomeric mesogenic units of the polysiloxane, is equal to 0.021 M/M and corresponds to 2 wt%. The exposure with linearly polarized light results in a reorientation of the azobenzene derivative and the 4′-cyano biphenyl side groups of the liquid crystalline polymer perpendicular towards the electric field vector of the incident light. Caused due to the reorientation process the degree of order is decreased from 0.73 to 0.44.