Metallurgical phases and their magnetism at the interface of nanoscale MgB2/Fe layered structures.

We report on the characterization of metallurgical phases and their magnetism at the interfaces of nanoscale MgB(2)/Fe layered structures. MgB(2)/(57)Fe multilayers with varying layer thicknesses were prepared by vacuum deposition and investigated, before and after annealing by electrical resistance measurements, x-ray diffraction and (57)Fe conversion-electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) down to 5 K. Interfacial Fe-B phases, such as Fe(2)B, were identified by CEMS. A superparamagnetic-to-ferromagnetic transition is observed with increasing (57)Fe film thickness. Ultrahigh vacuum annealing at 500 °C of the multilayers leads to strong diffusion of Fe atoms into the boundary regions of the MgB(2) layers. MgB(2) in the as-grown multilayers is non-superconducting. Structural disorder and the effect of Fe interdiffusion contribute to the suppression of superconductivity in the MgB(2) films of all the as-grown multilayers and the thinner annealed multilayers. However, an annealed MgB(2)/(57)Fe/MgB(2) trilayer with thicker (500 Å) MgB(2) layers is observed to be superconducting with an onset temperature of 25 K. At 5 K, the annealed trilayer can be conceived as being strongly chemically modulated, consisting of two partially Fe-doped superconducting MgB(2) layers separated by an interdiffused weakly magnetic Fe-B interlayer, which is characterized by a low hyperfine magnetic field B(hf) of ∼11 T. This chemically modulated layer structure of the trilayer after annealing was verified by Rutherford backscattering.

Heavy ion beam measurement of the hydration of cementitious materials.

The setting and development of strength of Portland cement concrete depends upon the reaction of water with various phases in the Portland cement. Nuclear resonance reaction analysis (NRRA) involving the (1)H((15)N,alpha,gamma)(12)C reaction has been applied to measure the hydrogen depth profile in the few 100 nm thick surface layer that controls the early stage of the reaction. Specific topics that have been investigated include the reactivity of individual cementitious phases and the effects of accelerators and retarders.

12C+12C fusion reactions near the Gamow energy.

The fusion reactions 12C(12C,alpha)20Ne and 12C(12C,p)23Na have been studied from E=2.10 to 4.75 MeV by gamma-ray spectroscopy using a C target with ultralow hydrogen contamination. The deduced astrophysical S(E)* factor exhibits new resonances at E< or =3.0 MeV, in particular, a strong resonance at E=2.14 MeV, which lies at the high-energy tail of the Gamow peak. The resonance increases the present nonresonant reaction rate of the alpha channel by a factor of 5 near T=8x10(8) K. Because of the resonance structure, extrapolation to the Gamow energy EG=1.5 MeV is quite uncertain. An experimental approach based on an underground accelerator placed in a salt mine in combination with a high efficiency detection setup could provide data over the full EG energy range.

The March 2002 update of the electronic version of ICPC-2. A step forward to the use of ICD-10 as a nomenclature and a terminology for ICPC-2.

The electronic version of the second edition of the International Classification of Primary Care, ICPC-2-E, available on the website of Family Practice since 2000, needed an update of the mapping with ICD-10 as a nomenclature and, consequently, of some of its criteria. This is now being made available, together with the full four-digit conversion structure between the two systems, in an electronic form, allowing the use of the alphabetical index of ICD-10 in several languages to be used as a terminology for ICPC-2. In this contribution, we discuss the considerations for preparing this new mapping structure, and its potential use in future electronic patient records in family practice.

High-resolution mapping of the X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA) locus.

The X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA) locus has been previously localized to the subchromosomal region Xq11-q21.1. We have extended our previous linkage studies and analyzed linkage between the EDA locus and 10 marker loci, including five new loci, in 41 families. Four of the marker loci showed no recombination with the EDA locus, and six other loci were also linked to the EDA locus with recombination fractions of .009-.075. Multipoint analyses gave support to the placement of the PGK1P1 locus proximal to the EDA locus and the DXS453 and PGK1 loci distal to EDA. Further ordering of the loci could be inferred from a human/rodent somatic cell hybrid derived from an affected female with EDA and an X;9 translocation and from studies of an affected male with EDA and a submicroscopic deletion. Three of the proximal marker loci, which showed no recombination with the EDA locus, when used in combination, were informative in 92% of females. The closely linked flanking polymorphic loci DXS339 and DXS453 had heterozygosities of 72% and 76%, respectively, and when used jointly, they were doubly informative in 52% of females. The human DXS732 locus was defined by a conserved mouse probe pcos169E/4 (DXCrc169 locus) that cosegregates with the mouse tabby (Ta) locus, a potential homologue to the EDA locus. The absence of recombination between EDA and the DXS732 locus lends support to the hypothesis that the DXCrc169 locus in the mouse and the DXS732 locus in humans may contain candidate sequences for the Ta and EDA genes, respectively.

Eosin Y: a reversible stain for detecting electrophoretically resolved protein.

A method for the rapid staining of polypeptides in low-pH, urea-containing polyacrylamide gels is described. After 30 s of immersion in an alkaline solution of eosin Y, a variety of proteins stained with intensities similar to those seen with Coomassie R-250. By subjecting eosin-stained bands to electrophoretic elution, the eosin-protein complex was dissociated. This allowed for recovery of milligram quantities of electrophoretically resolved, stain-free protein. High recoveries of total protein as well as enzymatic activity were achieved using hen egg white lysozyme as a model protein.

[Diagnosis of insufficient perforating veins using thermographic plates]. / Zur Diagnostik insuffizienter Venae perforantes cruris mit Helfe der Folienthermographie.

With the help of thermographic plates developed by the department of physical chemistry of the Martin Luther University Halle it was possible to detect in 50 patients 158 insufficient venae perforantes, which were found by x-ray examination, from total of 175. The causes for 17 insufficient venae perforantes not diagnosed thermographically were inadequate application of the plates in ulcus cruris, the existence of a pair of perforating veins and functionally unimportant bypasses. Plate thermography proved to be suitable in the lower leg for the detection of smaller differences in temperature. Evaluating these results in comparison to the literature references there was no difference between our method and the infrared thermovision. From an economic point of view plate thermography seems to be superior to infrared thermovision. In contrast to this, plate thermography has the disadvantage of a longer time for examination and problems in documentation and registration of the results.

[Clinically asymptomatic congenital macrofistular AV-aneurysm of the kidney]. / Zum klinisch asymptomatischen kongenitalen makrofistulären Av-Aneurysma der Niere.

Congenital arteriovenous aneurysms of the kidney are rare. The case of a now 65-year-old female patient is explained, in whom in 1971 during a renovasography on account of renal cyst at the left side of congenital arteriovenous aneurysm of the right kidney was established. Today - almost 10 years after the diagnosis and near her eight decennium of life - the patient is clinically symptom-free as to the untreated arteriovenous aneurysm of the right kidney. The observation shows that in arteriovenous aneurysms of the kidney cases with clinical relevancy and clinically asymptomatic cases must be differed.

[Congenital interruption of the aortic arch as an isolated malformation in adults]. / Zur kongenitalen Unterbrechung des Aortenbogens als isolierte Missbildung beim Erwachsenen.

It is reported on a 36-year-old patient with congenital interruption of the aorta in the preductal region. Is the infantile form of the interruption of the aortic arch already rare, so cases which reach the age of adults are absolute rarities. In the literature available to us altogether 11 cases of the adult form of an interruption of the aortic arch could be established which are supplemented by the 12th case which is described here. Among these cases interruptions in the preductal part of the aorta have been described up to now only in 4 cases of the adult age. Thus the case described here is the 5th case of this kind. As decisive for reaching the adult age the absence of further malformations on heart and large vessels are taken into consideration, further the extended collateral system, the formation of which seems to begin already in the embryonary stage and might be functionable immediately post partum.