Fusion of visual and infrared thermography images for advanced assessment in non-destructive testing.

For better evaluation of infrared measurements in non-destructive testing, especially for objects with complex geometry or small dimensions, it is beneficial to combine with the same viewing angle an image of a camera in the visible range with the image of an infrared camera. In the hybrid camera developed by us, a beam splitter is used which combines the visible and the infrared wavelength regions under the same viewing angle to form a hybrid image. The applications of this new technique range from the localization and the verification of false indications in non-destructive testing applications to the retrieval of 3D surface information with a hybrid picture as texture with defect indications and the filtering of laser markings displayed in the IR image to area and process monitoring.

Somatic kinetics or paroral membrane: which came first in ciliate evolution?

The ciliate species which lack a distinctive oral ciliature are considered to represent an ancestral state in ciliate evolution. Consequently, the somatic kineties composed of kinetids (kinetosomes plus cilia and associated fibrillar systems) are thought to be the ancestral ciliature. Results on stomatogenesis in 'gymnostomial ciliates' have shown that these ciliates probably have evolved from ancestors already equipped with an oral ciliature. Thus instead of the somatic, the oral ciliature may be regarded an ancestral. Based on these ideas a hypothesis on the evolution of the ciliate kinetome (assembly of all kinetids covering the body of a given ciliate) is presented. The first step in the evolution of the kinetome was the formation of a paroral membrane, a compound ciliary organelle lying along the right side of the oral area which historically but falsely is termed membrane. It was composed of kinetosomal dyads (dikinetids), derived from the kinetid of a dinoflagellate-like ancestor. From the beginning the paroral membrane was responsible for locomotion, ingestion and for the formation of a cytopharyngeal tube which the first ciliate probably had inherited from its flagellate ancestor. In the second step a first somatic kinety was formed from the right row of kinetosomes of the paroral membrane as a result of a longitudinal splitting of the paroral membrane and a subsequent migration of the forming kinety to the right into the somatic cortex. To increase the number of somatic kineties this process was repeated until the kinety produced first reached the left border of the oral area. By this step the locomotive and the nutritional functions were differentiated between somatic and oral structures. In a third step the adoral organelles were formed from somatic kinetids left of the oral area. The primitive type of stomatogenesis was a buccokinetal one derived from the mode the flagellate ancestor used to distribute its replicated kinetosomes to the offspring cells (buccokinetal means that at least parts of the oral anlage for the posterior offspring cell has its origin in the parental oral apparatus). This hypothesis, based on comparative studies on ciliate morphogenesis, is corroborated by molecular data from other laboratories.

[Therapeutic local anesthesia in backache]. / Therapeutische Lokalanästhesie beim Kreuzschmerz.

Low back pain for which operative therapy is not indicated, can prove resistant to treatment even with the aggressive application of conservative measures and the use of suitable drugs. Here, local anesthesia can often have a decisive influence on pain. On account of possible complications, particular consideration must be given to pharmacological aspects. Moreover, certain minimum demands must be met by the equipment and personnel staffing of a pain clinic, and also the possibilities for monitoring the patient. Within the framework of an interdisciplinary pain clinic, the various blockade techniques employed for therapeutic local anesthesia provide suitable possibilities for combatting this type of pain.

Electron microscopical observations on the ciliate Furgasonia blochmanni Fauré-Fremiet, 1967: Part II: Morphogenesis and phylogenetic conclusions.

The ultrastructural events during cortical morphogenesis of Furgasonia blochmanni are studied by TEM. The kinetosomal proliferation in the somatic cortex at the beginning of morphogenesis produces kinetosomal triads. All kinetosomes of these triads have the same fibrillar systems as somatic monokinetids. Such somatic triads are also involved in the formation of the adoral membranelies of the opisthe. In the mature adoral membranelies the postciliary microtubules of the anterior and the middle kinetosomes of these triads as well as all kinetodesmal fibers are replaced by desmoses. Only the opisthe gets new adoral membranelles, since the parental adoral membranelles persist in the proter; however, the new paroral membrane of both the proter and the opisthe are newly formed as derivatives of the old paroral membrane. At the beginning of stomatogenesis the old paroral membrane divides into 2 parts of unequal length. The anterior part, which stays in the proter, splits longitudinally forming a new kinety 1' and the anlage of the new paroral membrane. In the adult cell the anterior kinetosomes of the paroral dyads (the right kinetosomes of the paroral membrane) are already orientated like somatic kinetosomes. Therefore, no rotation is necessary when these kinetosomes become part of the somatic monokinetids of kinety 1'. The posterior kinetosomes of the dyads of the anterior part of the paroral membrane (the anlage of a new paroral membrane of the proter) remain orientated perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the cell, an orientation which is necessary when these kinetosomes send postciliary microtubules towards the forming cytopharyngeal basket. All kinetosomes of the posterior part of the former paroral membrane also become orientated such that triplet 9 points to the left towards the presumptive oral opening of the opisthe. During stomatogenesis both kinetosomes of the new paroral membranes are rotated by 90° compared to the longitudinal axis of the cell and send postciliary microtubules towards the forming cytopharynx. In contrast to the adult cell, during stomatogenesis only the posterior kinetosomes of the paroral dyads are ciliated while the newly formed anterior kinetosomes are barren. At the end of stomatogenesis the cilia of the posterior kinetosomes are resorbed and new cilia grow at the anterior kinetosomes. During stomatogenesis all kinetosomes of the anlagen of the new paroral membranes possess postciliary microtubules, kinetodesmal fibers and in some cases transverse microtubules as well. Following stomatogenesis, the kinetodesmal fibers and transverse microtubules are resorbed, and the orientation of the anterior kinetosomes reverts from perpendicular to parallel to the paroral membrane axis. These data from F. blochmanni are compared with the ultrastructural data on morphogenesis from Paraurostyla, Tetrahymena and Coleps. Finally the phylogenetically significant characters obtained from studies on morphology and morphogenesis in F. blochmanni and other nassulid ciliates are discussed, and a "scheme of argumentation of phylogenetic systematics" is presented for the nassulids. It is concluded that F. blochmanni is correctly classified within the nassulid suborder Nassulina and that the Nassulida including F. blochmanni certainly are a monophyletic group within the subphylum Cyrtophora Small, 1976.

Electron microscopical observations on the ciliate Furgasonia blochmanni Fauré-Fremiet, 1967: Part I: An update on morphology.

Light- and electron microscopical observations on the morphology of the nassulid ciliate Furgasonia blochmanni show that it has somatic kinetids which reveal the nassulid pattern of somatic mono- and dikinetids with a 'B-cartwheel' in the lumen of the kinetosome and paired alveolocysts as regular components of the kinetids. The buccal ciliature consists of a paroral membrane and three adorai membranelles. In contrast to the majority of the nassulid ciliates F. blochmanni has a paroral membrane of the stichodyad type in the adult stage. In adult cells the kinetosomes of the stichodyad show a unique hitherto undescribed arrangement, with the posterior kinetosome of each dyad rotated 90° compared to the anterior one which is orientated like a somatic kinetosome with triplet 9 pointing posteriorwards. The adorai membranelles are very similar to the corresponding structures of other nassulid ciliates and are not 'peniculi'. The cytopharyngeal basket of F. blochmanni consists of the same elements as in the genus Nassula. This type of a cytopharynx is described and compared with the corresponding structures of other nassulid, cyrtophorid and chonotrichid ciliates revealing that both the order Nassulida itself and the suborders Nassulina and Microthoracina can be characterized by the unique morphological features of their cytopharyngeal baskets. This update on morphology, a prerequisite for the examination of morphogenesis, leads to phylogenetic conclusions on the systematic position of F. blochmanni which differ from the view held by Grain et al. [23] who transferred the genus Furgasonia to the hymenostomes. These conclusions are more in accord with the recent classification of nassulid ciliates presented by de Puytorac, Grain and Mignot [51].

[Significance of meningitis as a complication of spinal anesthesia]. / Zur Bedeutung der Meningitis als Komplikation der Spinalanaesthesie.

A case is reported where the patient developed severe bacterial meningitis only hours after surgery. As a general anaesthetic was administered, no causal relationship could be found; spinal anaesthesia had originally been planned.

[Anesthesia for nuclear magnetic resonance tomography (NMR)]. / Anaesthesie bei der Kernspintomographie (KST).

The NMR-Tomography as a new imaging device is still in the experimental stage for clinical use. It has distinct advantages in comparison to other conventional methods especially when considering special indications and clinical considerations. In some cases NMR-Tomography can only be carried out when a patient is under general anesthesia. This anesthesia must be performed in accordance with the basic nature of this imaging method, i.e. one always has to remember that no ferromagnetic material can be used in the vicinity of the apparatus. With our described method a certain and safe performance of general anesthesia for NMR-Tomography is possible.

[Problems in laser surgery and anesthesia]. / Zur Problematik von Laserchirurgie und Anaesthesie.

Accidental thermal damage in case of explosion and fire caused by laser-surgery is a well-known problem and still not solved. A combination of laser beam, oxygen and inflammable substances are only one aspect. A main problem is the venturi-effect resulting from artificial ventilation under anaesthesia. An incidental observation during one case of endotracheal tube-fire led to some fundamental considerations. With a modified PEEP-ventilation hazard can not be prevented, but limited in its complications.

[Experiences with therapeutic whole-body hyperthermia]. / Erfahrungen mit der Ganzkörperhyperthermie.

Therapeutic whole body hyperthermia (WBH) as an additional therapy in the treatment of cancer has been known for a long time and is beginning to attain acceptance. In a clinical study 28 patients were treated 70 times with WBH at a core temperature of 41.8 degrees C. Hyperthermia was induced and maintained with an extracorporal circuit (ECC). Patients were anaesthesized with nitrous oxygen, enflurane and fentanyl. Therefore artificial ventilation was mandatory. Invasive monitoring was used to control vital functions. The effect of WBH includes a rise in cardiac output and heart rate as well as a decrease in total vascular resistance and mean arterial pressure. Pulmonary function almost remains constant. A raised oxygen consumption is compensated by a rise of oxygen availability. In consequence of an augmented perspiratio insensibilis and the ECC, close observation of fluid and electrolyte balance is necessary. According to our experience the small number of complications and problems allows the treatment with WBH even of patients with a high risk of anaesthesia.

The effect of whole body hyperthermia on 5-fluorouracil pharmacokinetics in vivo and clonogenicity of mammalian colon cancer cells.

In a non-randomized pilot study, 10 patients with histological proof of metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma were treated by hyperthermia/chemotherapy protocol (41,8 degrees C and 1000 mg 5-FU). Plasma levels of 5-FU were determined after single dose at normothermia and hyperthermia. Plasma concentration time course was consistent with a two-compartment pharmacokinetic open model, with first order kinetic and was significantly altered by hyperthermic treatment. Cytotoxicity of 5-FU was substantially enhanced at hyperthermia (41.8 degrees C) as judged from the clonogenic surviving fractions from established human colon cancer cell lines. Our in vitro and in vivo results suggest that whole body hyperthermia combined with 5-FU is an active combination to develop further in the treatment of colorectal carcinomas.

[Extracorporeally induced whole-body hyperthermia in conventionally incurable malignant tumor patients]. / Extraskorporal induzierte Ganzkörperhyperthermie bei konventionell inkurablen Malignompatienten.

Whole body hyperthermia was produced in 14 patients with conventionally incurable malignant disease. The technique consisted of arteriovenous shunting involving extracorporeal circulation with heat exchange during general anaesthesia. A temperature of 41.8 degrees C was maintained for periods of 6 hours. After achieving hyperthermic temperatures treatment was enlarged by administration of 5-fluorouracil (1000 mg) in patients with colorectal carcinoma and by dacarazine (200 mg/m2) in patients with malignant melanoma. In 5 out 6 patients with stage IV colorectal carcinoma stabilisation of the disease was seen for an average of 10 months. In contrast, progression of the disease was seen in patients with malignant melanoma and mean survival was only 5 months. These preliminary results in a small number of patients indicate that 1. induction and maintenance of whole body hyperthermia is clinically possible, 2. technical requirements are considerable, however feasible, 3. different tumours react differently to treatment.

[Changes of pressure within the middle ear during various kinds of anaesthesia (author's transl)]. / Druckmessungen im Mittelohr bei unterschiedlichen Narkoseverfahren.

Measurements of the middle ear pressure were taken during anaesthesia in 18 patients. Using nitrous oxide the middle ear pressure increased considerably. Other anaesthetics (i.e. anaesthesia with neuroleptics) did not show this remarkable change in middle ear pressure. To avoid complications by middle ear operations (tympanoplasty) we combine both methods of anaesthesia.

Synthesis and biological activity of seventeen analogues of human insulin.

We synthesized seventeen analogues of human insulin, applying the principle of stepwise, selective formation of the disulphide bonds. Most of these analogues only differ from human insulin in the replacement of a single amino acid in positions 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11 of the A chain and 5, 7, 13 and 16 of the B-chain. The influence of these modifications on the physicochemical properties of the analogues is discussed. Eight analogues could be crystallized. All the analogues produce the same biological effects as insulin, but differ markedly in their potency. In isolated fat cells in vitro, [HisA8]insulin showed a relative potency of 2.46 in stimulating glucose oxidation (human insulin = 1), whereas [D-CysA6,A11]insulin had a potency of only 0.00027. Very low potency was observed when IleA2 or the half-cystines A6, A7, A11 or B7 were modified. Replacement of the invariant GlnA5 by alanine only reduced potency slightly. All the analogues are full agonists. The effects of the analogues on glucose oxidation and lipolysis are correlated, supporting the view that they are mediated by a common receptor on the fat-cell membrane. Hypoglycaemic potencies in the rat were similar to potencies in vitro. As expected, no correlation was demonstrable between antiserum binding--measured in the radioimmunoassay--and biological activity. Several results of this investigation are difficult to reconcile with the current view regarding the structure-activity relationship of insulin which appears to require further refinement.