The challenges posed by climate change to successful ageing.

Ever since the 2003 heat wave that caused 70,000 heat deaths, the dramatic consequences of climate change and rising temperatures in Europe have become an intensively researched topic. During heat waves, the older urban adult population is at highest risk. The STOPHOT project is the first investigation in Austria to establish a comprehensive knowledge base on heat perception, awareness of heat risks and adaptive/coping behaviours among older adults. The main research questions include: (1) Does climate change endanger the chances of successful ageing in urban areas? (2) How do age, social inequalities and the living environment intersect with environmental stressors in affecting successful ageing? (3) Which heat adaption strategies do older adults deploy and to what extent can they mediate heat stress in an effort to increase chances of successful ageing under the conditions of climate change? The results indicate that climate change and rising temperatures are in fact one important determinant of whether and how an older person can maintain well-being in later life. Older adults (> 65 years) with a low socio-economic status and poor health conditions, who tend to be socially isolated, are most at risk. However, no 'heat island effect' of the residential environment could be found. How much a person suffers from heat stress is highly dependent on the adaption strategies deployed. Adaption strategies of older urban residents mostly centred on body-related measures, such as drinking more or wearing lighter clothes, and indoor-centred measures, particularly avoiding the outdoors.

Characterisation of sputter deposited niobium and boron interlayer in the copper-diamond system.

In most metal matrix composites (MMCs) interfaces are decisive but hard to manipulate. Especially copper-carbon composites can exhibit excellent mechanical and thermal properties only if the Cu/C interface is modified by an optimised interlayer. Due to the excellent thermal conductivity and mechanical stability of diamond this form of carbon is preferred as reinforcement in heat sink materials (copper-diamond composite) which are often subjected to severe thermal and mechanical loads. In the present case niobium and boron interlayers of various thicknesses were deposited on diamond and vitreous carbon substrates by magnetron sputter deposition. After the coverage of all samples by a copper film, a part of the samples was subjected to heat treatment for 30 min at 800 °C under high vacuum (HV) to simulate the thermal conditions during the production of the composite material by uniaxial hot pressing. De-wetting during heat treatment leads to the formation of holes or humps in the Cu coating. This effect was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). A comparison of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF SIMS) profiles of heat treated samples with those of as deposited ones showed the influence of interdiffusion during the heating process. Diffusion behaviour and chemical composition of the interface were also studied by cross sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) investigations using focused ion beam (FIB) cut samples. The thermal contact resistance (TCR) of the interface was calculated from results obtained from modulated infrared radiometry (IR). Thin interlayers suppressed de-wetting most effectively and consequently the TCR at the Cu-diamond interface was found to decrease. Therefore they are promising candidates for optimising the Cu-diamond interface.

Multisensor hyperspectral imaging approach for the microchemical analysis of ultramarine blue pigments.

This work presents a multisensor hyperspectral approach for the characterization of ultramarine blue, a valuable historical pigment, at the microscopic scale combining the information of four analytical techniques at the elemental and molecular levels. The hyperspectral images collected were combined in a single hypercube, where the pixels of the various spectral components are aligned on top of each other. Selected spectral descriptors have been defined to reduce data dimensionality before applying unsupervised chemometric data analysis approaches. Lazurite, responsible for the blue color of the pigment, was detected as the major mineral phase present in synthetic and good quality pigments. Impurities like pyrite were detected in lower quality samples, although the clear identification of other mineral phases with silicate basis was more difficult. There is no correlation between the spatial distribution of the bands arising in the Raman spectra of natural samples in the region 1200-1850 cm-1 and any of the transition metals or rare earth elements (REE). With this information, the previous hypothesis (based on bulk analysis) attributing these bands to luminescence emissions due to impurities of these elements must be revised. We propose the consideration of CO2 molecules trapped in the cages of the aluminosilicate structure of sodalite-type. Additionally, correlation between certain Raman features and the combined presence of Ca, P, and REE, in particular Nd, was detected for the lowest quality pigment. Our results highlight the usefulness of fusing chemical images obtained via different imaging techniques to obtain relevant information on chemical structure and properties.

Wireless phone use in childhood and adolescence and neuroepithelial brain tumours: Results from the international MOBI-Kids study.

In recent decades, the possibility that use of mobile communicating devices, particularly wireless (mobile and cordless) phones, may increase brain tumour risk, has been a concern, particularly given the considerable increase in their use by young people. MOBI-Kids, a 14-country (Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain) case-control study, was conducted to evaluate whether wireless phone use (and particularly resulting exposure to radiofrequency (RF) and extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF)) increases risk of brain tumours in young people. Between 2010 and 2015, the study recruited 899 people with brain tumours aged 10 to 24 years old and 1,910 controls (operated for appendicitis) matched to the cases on date of diagnosis, study region and age. Participation rates were 72% for cases and 54% for controls. The mean ages of cases and controls were 16.5 and 16.6 years, respectively; 57% were males. The vast majority of study participants were wireless phones users, even in the youngest age group, and the study included substantial numbers of long-term (over 10 years) users: 22% overall, 51% in the 20-24-year-olds. Most tumours were of the neuroepithelial type (NBT; n = 671), mainly glioma. The odds ratios (OR) of NBT appeared to decrease with increasing time since start of use of wireless phones, cumulative number of calls and cumulative call time, particularly in the 15-19 years old age group. A decreasing trend in ORs was also observed with increasing estimated cumulative RF specific energy and ELF induced current density at the location of the tumour. Further analyses suggest that the large number of ORs below 1 in this study is unlikely to represent an unknown causal preventive effect of mobile phone exposure: they can be at least partially explained by differential recall by proxies and prodromal symptoms affecting phone use before diagnosis of the cases. We cannot rule out, however, residual confounding from sources we did not measure. Overall, our study provides no evidence of a causal association between wireless phone use and brain tumours in young people. However, the sources of bias summarised above prevent us from ruling out a small increased risk.

Measurement of 18O tracer diffusion coefficients in thin yttria stabilized zirconia films.

In this paper we present a method to measure oxygen tracer diffusion coefficients in thin ion conducting films without being limited by slow oxygen incorporation kinetics. The method is based on a two step process. In the first step a substantial amount of 18O tracer is locally incorporated for example into an yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) layer at low temperatures with the aid of an electric current, thus overcoming slow thermal oxygen exchange while still limiting lateral diffusion to a minimum. In the second step controlled diffusion takes place at elevated temperatures in ultra high vacuum (UHV) to impede loss of tracer due to oxygen exchange at the film surface. In this second step the surface of the thin film may additionally be modified compared to the oxygen incorporation step. This allows to easily investigate effects of interfaces on ion transport. The achieved in-plane concentration profiles are then measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Comparison with electrical measurements on YSZ thin films proves the applicability of the method.

Characterization of the mechanical and thermal interface of copper films on carbon substrates modified by boron based interlayers.

The manipulation of mechanical and thermal interfaces is essential for the design of modern composites. Amongst these are copper carbon composites which can exhibit excellent heat conductivities if the Cu/C interface is affected by a suitable interlayer to minimize the Thermal Contact Resistance (TCR) and to maximize the adhesion strength between Cu and C.In this paper we report on the effect of boron based interlayers on wetting, mechanical adhesion and on the TCR of Cu coatings deposited on glassy carbon substrates by magnetron sputtering. The interlayers were 5 nm thick and consisted of pure B and B with additions of the carbide forming metals Mo, Ti and Cr in the range of 5 at.% relative to B. The interlayers were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering from either a pure B target or from a composite target. The interlayer composition was checked by Auger Electron Spectroscopy and found to be homogenous within the whole film.The system C-substrate/interlayer/Cu coating was characterized in as deposited samples and samples heat treated for 30 min at 800 °C under High Vacuum (HV), which mimics typical hot pressing parameters during composite formation. Material transport during heat treatment was investigated by Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS). The de-wetting and hole formation in the Cu coating upon heat treatment were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The adhesion of the Cu coating was evaluated by mechanical pull-off testing. The TCR was assessed by infrared photothermal radiometry (PTR). A correlation between the adhesion strength and the value of the TCR which was measured by PTR was determined for as deposited as well as for heat treated samples.

[Lung function of dust-exposed workers]. / Lungenfunktion staubexponierter Arbeitnehmer.

Workers exposed to dust have to undergo medical check-ups every 2 years including lung function testing. Here we report on the routine lung function data (FVC, FEV1, MEF50) of 994 workers from Austria. Lung function data were compared to the Austrian standard values that are based on routine testing of healthy volunteers. For all parameters the workers' values were significantly poorer than the Austrian standards (FVC: -0.4 l; FEV1: -0.5 l; MEF50: -0.9 l/s). The difference from the standard increased with increasing duration of the dust exposure. This increase was significant for the total group for MEF50 even after controlling for smoking. About half of the workers were exposed to quartz dust and had poorer lung function values (p = 0.02 for MEF50) than the other workers. Smoking significantly reduced all 3 lung function parameters with a significant interaction between strong smoking (compared to non-smokers) and quartz exposure (compared to all other exposures). Current Austrian limit values are not protective against chronic damage of the respiratory system. The combined impact of cigarette smoke and high concentration of mineral dust (quartz) is especially dangerous.

Multicomponent diffusion in ionic crystals: theoretical model and application to combined tracer- and interdiffusion in alkali feldspar.

We present a model for multicomponent diffusion in ionic crystals. The model accounts for vacancy-mediated diffusion on a sub-lattice and for diffusion due to binary exchange of different ionic species without involvement of vacancies on the same sub-lattice. The diffusive flux of a specific ionic species depends on the self-diffusion coefficients, on the diffusion coefficients related to the binary exchanges, and on the site fractions of all ionic species. The model delivers explicit expressions for these dependencies, which lead to a set of coupled non-linear diffusion equations. We applied the model to diffusion of 23 Na, 39 K, and 41 K in alkali feldspar. To this end, gem-quality crystals of alkali feldspar were used together with 41 K doped KCl salt as diffusion couples, which were annealed at temperatures between 800 ∘ and 950 ∘ C. Concentration-distance data for 23 Na, 39 K, and 41 K were obtained by Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. Over the entire investigated temperature range the Na self-diffusion coefficient is by a factor of ≥ 500 higher than the K self-diffusion coefficient. Diffusion mediated by binary 39 K- 41 K exchange is required for obtaining satisfactory fits of the model curves to the experimental data, and the respective kinetic coefficient is well constrained.

Conservation and novelty in the evolution of cell adhesion and extracellular matrix genes.

New proteins and modules have been invented throughout evolution. Gene "birth dates" in Caenorhabditis elegans range from the origins of cellular life through adaptation to a soil habitat. Possibly half are "metazoan" genes, having arisen sometime between the yeast-metazoan and nematode-chordate separations. These include basement membrane and cell adhesion molecules implicated in tissue organization. By contrast, epithelial surfaces facing the environment have specialized components invented within the nematode lineage. Moreover, interstitial matrices were likely elaborated within the vertebrate lineage. A strategy for concerted evolution of new gene families, as well as conservation of adaptive genes, may underlie the differences between heterochromatin and euchromatin.

TOF-SIMS depth profiling and element mapping on oxidized AlCrVN hard coatings.

V-alloyed AlCrN hard coatings were deposited on silicon wafers (Si (100)) by reactive arc evaporation in a commercial coating system at 500 degrees C for 10 min, resulting in a coating thickness of approximately 500 nm. The chemical composition of the stoichiometric coatings is constant at approximately Al(0.70)Cr(0.05)V(0.25)N regardless of the applied bias voltage during deposition. Coatings synthesized at a low bias of -40 V show a dual-phase structure (hexagonal close-packed and face-centered cubic (fcc)), whereas coatings deposited at a high bias of -150 V have a metastable single-phase structure (face-centered cubic). All samples were oxidized for 15 min under 20 mbar O(2) atmosphere and at four different temperatures (550, 600, 650, and 700 degrees C). The oxidized coatings were subject to depth profiling and element mapping by a time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry instrument, equipped with a Bi-cluster analysis gun and Cs(+)-sputter gun. The evaluation of the in-depth distribution of several elements and species points out distinctive differences in the oxidation behavior of the two different coatings, whereas element mapping shows the formation of islands made of oxidized vanadium and aluminum species as the top-most layer of the single-phase (fcc) coating at temperatures above 650 degrees C.

TOF-SIMS investigations on weathered silver surfaces.

Silver-coated quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) disks were treated under different environmental conditions (including changes in parameters such as relative humidity (%RH) and SO(2)/H(2)S content) in atmospheres of synthetic air and pure N(2) for 24 h in a weathering chamber. The corroded surfaces were subjected to depth profiling by a time of flight (TOF) secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) instrument, equipped with a Bi(+) analysis gun and Cs(+) sputter gun. The evaluation of the in-depth distribution of several elements and species provides evidence for the formation of a corrosion layer containing Ag(2)SO(3), even in the absence of oxidizing agents, such as H(2)O(2) or NO(2). Furthermore it could be elucidated that the thickness of the formed Ag(2)SO(3) layer does not depend on the SO(2) concentration but rather on the humidity and oxygen content of the ambient atmosphere. In weathering experiments in atmospheres composed of synthetic air, humidity, and H(2)S, the presence of different oxygen species (surface and bulk) and silver sulfide could be detected by TOF-SIMS depth profiling experiments. The obtained results for both acidifying gases are in good correlation with the corresponding tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) investigations and in situ QCM measurements.

Resistive states in strontium titanate thin films: Bias effects and mechanisms at high and low temperature.

A study on charge transport properties of thin film Fe-doped SrTiO3 epitaxially grown on Nb-doped SrTiO3 is reported. Electric measurements between 350 °C and 750 °C show a transition from predominant ionic to electronic conduction and lower conductivity of the thin films compared to the bulk of polycrystalline samples. Defect chemical changes at elevated temperature were investigated by applying a bias voltage. A model is described which successfully predicts additional features such as inductive loops or extra semicircles measureable by impedance spectroscopy as well as the complicated time dependence of electric DC-measurements. With this model it is also possible to calculate the negligibly small ionic conductivity next to the dominating electronic conductivity in the high temperature regime. The ionic conductivity is referenced by oxygen isotope depth profiling. Changes of resistive states in Fe-doped SrTiO3 thin films at high temperature and moderate fields are compared to room temperature resistive switching phenomena at high electric fields. A conductive filament based switching process is observed at room temperature, and the capability for forming such filaments and their electric properties is further analysed using microelectrodes.

Subjective symptoms, sleeping problems, and cognitive performance in subjects living near mobile phone base stations.

BACKGROUND: The erection of mobile telephone base stations in inhabited areas has raised concerns about possible health effects caused by emitted microwaves. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study of randomly selected inhabitants living in urban and rural areas for more than one year near to 10 selected base stations, 365 subjects were investigated. Several cognitive tests were performed, and wellbeing and sleep quality were assessed. Field strength of high-frequency electromagnetic fields (HF-EMF) was measured in the bedrooms of 336 households. RESULTS: Total HF-EMF and exposure related to mobile telecommunication were far below recommended levels (max. 4.1 mW/m2). Distance from antennae was 24-600 m in the rural area and 20-250 m in the urban area. Average power density was slightly higher in the rural area (0.05 mW/m2) than in the urban area (0.02 mW/m2). Despite the influence of confounding variables, including fear of adverse effects from exposure to HF-EMF from the base station, there was a significant relation of some symptoms to measured power density; this was highest for headaches. Perceptual speed increased, while accuracy decreased insignificantly with increasing exposure levels. There was no significant effect on sleep quality. CONCLUSION: Despite very low exposure to HF-EMF, effects on wellbeing and performance cannot be ruled out, as shown by recently obtained experimental results; however, mechanisms of action at these low levels are unknown.

Persistent sciatic artery: an uncommon cause of intermittent claudication.

Persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a rarely seen variation of the lower limb vessels. Anatomically the PSA is the continuation of internal iliac arteries. It follows the sciatic nerve from the sciatic foramen to the level of the knee. We report our experience with conservative therapy in a patient with complete occlusion of a PSA. A 54-year-old man with typical symptoms of intermittent claudication on the left limb was referred to our Department. After clinical examination Doppler and duplex sonography were performed. Angiography showed bilateral PSA. On the left side the PSA was occluded. The patient received 20 intravenous courses of prostaglandin E1 for 4 weeks, followed by oral anticoagulation with phenprocoumon for life (INR: 2.5-3.5). After 3 years therapy he does not show any typical symptoms of intermittent claudication or limb ischemia. This case shows that conservative therapy may be effective. However, it has to be emphasised that this approach requires frequent clinical and duplex sonography follow-up every 3 to 6 months with oral anticoagulation.

Phase II trial of paclitaxel shows antitumor activity in patients with previously treated germ cell tumors.

PURPOSE: A trial of paclitaxel was conducted in patients with previously treated germ cell tumors (GCT). As the identification of new agents in GCT may be compromised by restricting entry criteria to heavily pretreated patients, an alternative trial design was used in which eligibility was restricted to patients with limited prior therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were eligible if their prior therapy was limited to one cisplatin-based regimen or < or = six cycles of prior cisplatin-based therapy. Paclitaxel 250 mg/m2 was administered by continuous infusion over 24 hours every 21 days. The dose of paclitaxel was modified for each patient based on toxicity. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) 5 micrograms/kg/d was administered during nadir periods. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients were treated; eight patients (26%) achieved a partial (n = 5) or a complete (n = 3) response. Responses were achieved in patients who had failed to respond to treatment with cisplatin, ifosfamide, and etoposide, and in patients with poor prognostic features, ie, mediastinal primary tumor site and patients with a best prior response of an incomplete response to cisplatin therapy. One complete responder remains continuously free of disease at 13+ months and one of the five patients who achieved a partial response remains progression-free at 14+ months. CONCLUSION: Paclitaxel has antitumor activity in GCT and warrants continued study in combination chemotherapy. Phase I/II trials will address its role in combination with cisplatin and ifosfamide and as a part of dose-intensive therapy. Furthermore, the study showed that a trial design in which eligibility criteria limits prior therapy was feasible, resulted in the identification of antitumor activity in a new agent, and may be considered in future trials for other promising new agents in GCT.

mex-1 and the general partitioning of cell fate in the early C. elegans embryo.

It is thought that at least some of the initial specification of the five somatic founder cells of the C. elegans embryo occurs cell-autonomously through the segregation of factors during cell divisions. It has been suggested that in embryos from mothers homozygous for mutations in the maternal-effect gene mex-1, four blastomeres of the 8-cell embryo adopt the fate of the MS blastomere. It was proposed that mex-1 functions to localise or regulate factors that determine the fate of this blastomere. Here, a detailed cell lineage analysis of 9 mex-1 mutants reveals that the fates of all somatic founder cells are affected by mutations in this gene. We propose that mex-1, like the par genes, is involved in establishing the initial polarity of the embryo.

Blood concentrations of polycyclic musks in healthy young adults.

Knowledge on the concentration of polycyclic musk fragrance compounds in human blood is sparse. This study examined the concentrations of six polycyclic musks in blood samples from healthy volunteers. Blood was taken from hundred healthy students of the Medical University of Vienna. The lipophilic fraction was extracted and after purification analyzed by GC-MS. Study participants also completed a questionnaire on the use of cosmetics, about nutrition and other life-style aspects. Two compounds -- galaxolide and tonalide -- were identified in higher percentages of the blood plasma samples. Maximum plasma levels over 100 ng/l were also only found for galaxolide (4100 ng/l) and tonalide (800 ng/l). Women showed significantly higher levels than men. In a statistical multivariate approach only use of body lotion and age were predictive of positive galaxolide concentrations. For tonalide no significant predictor could be found. The findings mirror the replacement of nitro musk fragrances by polycyclic musks, mainly galaxolide. The high concentrations of galaxolide in human blood raise concern since few toxicological data are available.

Paclitaxel in germ cell cancer.

The teratocarcinoma cell line 833K and its relatively cisplatin-resistant subline 833K/63CP 10 were used to assess the cytotoxicity of paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ), cisplatin, and 4-hydroxyperoxycyclophosphamide quantitatively. The results showed that paclitaxel had marked cytotoxicity against teratocarcinoma, particularly in the cells that were relatively cisplatin resistant. These studies suggested synergy in cytotoxicity for paclitaxel, cisplatin, and 4-hydroxyperoxycyclophosphamide. A phase II trial of paclitaxel was conducted in patients with previously treated germ cell tumors with restricted prior treatment. The paclitaxel dose was 250 mg/m2 given by 24-hour continuous infusion. In 31 patients treated with paclitaxel, eight (26%) achieved a major (complete or partial) response. The antitumor activity of paclitaxel in the phase II trial has led us to further study it as a part of combination therapy. Since the in vitro studies showed synergistic cytotoxicity, combination studies of paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and platinum are under way as salvage treatment for patients with germ cell tumors.

Reaction patterns of monoclonal antibodies to HLA-G in human tissues and on cell lines: a comparative study.

We compared the immunohistochemical reaction patterns of HLA-G-specific antibodies 87G, 4H84, G233, 16G1, and BFL.1 on human placentas under three different preparative conditions and on cryosections of other human tissues. Human and murine cell lines, either naturally expressing or transfected with HLA-G, were analyzed for their reaction patterns by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Antibodies HCA2, TP25.99, W6/32 to classical HLA class I, anti-beta(2)-m and various non-HLA-G expressing cell lines were used as controls. The binding ability of the antibodies depends on the histotechnical procedure used. 4H84 and HCA2 bind to HLA-G despite aldehyde fixation and also paraffin embedding. 87G does not bind HLA-G in studies involving fixation with aldehydes. G233 labels HLA-G in aldehyde fixed but not paraffin embedded tissues. By immunocytochemistry HLA-G2 is merely detected with antibodies 4H84 and HCA2. MAb 16G1 binds to HLA-Gsol transfected cell lines only. The HLA-G specificity of mAb BFL.1 was considered as doubtful because it failed to react with most of the HLA-G transfected cell lines. Binding of 87G to the surface of monocytes or U-937 cells stimulated with IFN-gamma and GM-CSF is an Fc-receptor mediated phenomenon.

HLA expression on immature and mature human germ cells.

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are membrane-bound glycoproteins encoded by the human major histocompatibility complex located on chromosome 6. They are known to function in immnunologic recognition and, with regard to reproduction, a number of non-immune functions have been proposed. Although the expression patterns of the major histocompatibility antigens have been extensively studied at the maternal fetal interface, there are still controversial reports on the expression of these molecules by human gametes and preimplantation stages. This brief review focuses on recent studies where the expression and distribution of HLA on human spermatogenic cells (spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocytes, spermatids, spermatozoa), primary and secondary oocytes, and preimplantation embryos have been investigated. These results, and their possible implications for the fertilization process and further embryonic development, will be presented.