Experimental studies of contact angle hysteresis phenomena on polymer surfaces ­ Toward the understanding and control of wettability for different applications.

Contact angle hysteresis phenomena on polymer surfaces have been studied by contact angle measurements using sessile liquid droplets and captive air bubbles in conjunction with a drop shape method known as Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis - Profile (ADSA-P). In addition, commercially available sessile drop goniometer techniques were used. The polymer surfaces were characterized with respect to their surface structure (morphology, roughness, swelling) and surface chemistry (elemental surface composition, acid-base characteristics) by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning force microscopy (SFM), ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and streaming potential measurements. Heterogeneous polymer surfaces with controlled roughness and chemical composition were prepared by different routes using plasma etching and subsequent dip coating or grafting of polymer brushes, anodic oxidation of aluminium substrates coated with thin polymer films, deposition techniques to create regular patterned and rough fractal surfaces from core-shell particles, and block copolymers. To reveal the effects of swelling and reorientation at the solid/liquid interface contact angle hysteresis phenomena on polyimide surfaces, cellulose membranes, and thermo-responsive hydrogels have been studied. The effect of different solutes in the liquid (electrolytes, surfactants) and their impact on contact angle hysteresis were characterized for solid polymers without and with ionizable functional surface groups in aqueous electrolyte solutions of different ion concentrations and pH and for photoresist surfaces in cationic aqueous surfactant solutions. The work is an attempt toward the understanding of contact angle hysteresis phenomena on polymer surfaces aimed at the control of wettability for different applications.

[Medicine aboard cruise ships--law insurance specifics]. / Versicherungsrechtliche Betrachtungen zur Tätigkeit des Arztes an Bord von Kreuzfahrtschiffen.

The booming cruise industry, associated with ships with more passengers and crew on board, results in growing medical needs for the ship doctor. The ship's doctor insurance policy includes different jurisdictions, namely national law, international law, tort law, insurance law and labor law. In addition, international agreements must be taken into account, which complicates the design of an adequate insurance policy. Equally high are the costs and defense costs for the ship's doctor in case of liability. In order to limit the liability for all parties is to ask for appropriately qualified medical staff, hired on board.

Does a relationship exist between the quality of stress and the motivation to ingest alcohol?

Previous experimental findings on the relationship between emotional stress and motivation to ingest alcohol are contradictory. To obtain information about this relationship we tested the effects on alcohol consumption in rats subjected to two types of chronic unavoidable stressors, intermittent immobilization and social isolation, which differ in their influence on the functional state of the endogenous opioid system. To characterize the nature and magnitude of the stress induced by these stressors, we measured their effects on functional parameters which have a close relationship to the regulatory influence of endogenous opioid peptides (endogenous opioid dependence, pain sensitivity, blood pressure). Our investigations have shown that chronic intermittent immobilization, which induced development of endogenous opioid dependence, presumably due to activation of endogenous opioid systems, did not produce increased alcohol consumption. On the contrary, chronic social isolation, which did not induce development of endogenous opioid dependence, was followed by a significant increase in alcohol consumption. It is concluded that not all types of stress produce increased alcohol consumption, but that the effect on the endogenous opioid system may be a decisive factor in determining whether a stressor produces increased alcohol consumption.

[Circulatory changes in acute sauna hyperthermia after heart transplantation]. / Kreislaufverhalten bei akuter Saunahyperthermie nach Herztransplantation.

The authors report on the influence of a single sauna-stay of patients following heart transplantation (HTX) during the rehabilitation phase III. Investigations of blood pressure, heart rate, changer in hemodynamics in the small and large vessels in 8 male patients following HTX (medium age: 42 years) showed that sauna-hyperthermia is well tolerated. We watched significant decreases of blood pressure (systolic and diastolic values), an improvement of the microcirculation in the small vessels, an increase of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and a decrease of the total peripheric vascular resistance (TPVR). Possibilities and limitations of sauna-therapy for the therapy of risk factors following HTX especially under immunosuppression are discussed. First results are demonstrated.

[Sauna therapy in coronary heart disease with hypertension after bypass operation, in heart aneurysm operation and in essential hypertension]. / Die Saunatherapie bei koronarer Herzkrankheit mit Hypertonie nach Bypassoperation, bei Herzwand-Aneurysma-Operation und bei essentieller Hypertonie.

It is reported about the influence of the sauna therapy on blood pressure, heart frequency, peripheric hemodynamics (Xenon-133-muscle-clearance) and the reaction of the cardiac output or left ventricular ejection fraction with hypertonia patients, patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and hypertension and after aneurysm resection after heart infarction. It was shown that sauna therapy has a positive effect on hypertonic regulations troubles. One of the reasons of lowering blood pressure is the significant improvement of the peripheral hemodynamics. Sauna therapy does not result in any improvement of the left ventricles pumping function after operation. All described groups of patients showed a good tolerance and compliance with sauna therapy.

[Autogenic training in hypertensive dysregulation after aortocoronary venous bypass operation of coronary heart disease]. / Autogenes Training bei hypertonen Regulations-störungen nach aortokoronarer Venenbypass-Operation (ACVB) bei koronarer Herzkrankheit.

The authors report on the influence of autogenous training on blood pressure at rest and under stress conditions in patients with coronary heart disease following coronary bypass operation. We investigated the influence of autogenous training on the microcirculation and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as well. The results showed a significant decrease in blood pressure at rest and also an increase of muscle circulation F and of LVEF.

[The effect of health resort therapy on cardio-regulation following heart transplantation with special reference to CO2 balneotherapy]. / Wirkung der Kurorttherapie auf die Kardioregulation nach Herztransplantation unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der CO2-Bädertherapie.

It is being reported about the influence of a CO2-bathing series with 12 patients after heart-transplantation in connection with a light-motion therapy on blood pressure and haemodynamics. The comparative group was a group of 12 heart-transplantation patients of the same age without cure during the comparative time. It was shown that the balneotherapy after HTPL has positive effect on the development of the systolic blood pressure under rest and exercise. The peripheric microcirculation (musculus tibialis anterior) improved significantly. The left ventricular ejections fraction (LVEF) kept without change. Generally, the balneotherapy is well tolerated by heart-transplantation patients. There is no danger of a cardiac overcharge of the left ventricle.

Quantitative EEG studies of pedophilia.

Ninety six pedophiles, whose sexual orientation was confirmed by phallometric response to sexual stimuli, were investigated with quantitative EEG and compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The EEG analysis showed a pattern of increased frontal delta, theta and alpha power (especially during verbal processing) and a pattern of reduced interhemispheric and increased intrahemispheric-interhemispheric coherence, right and left (only during verbal processing), an effect that was restricted to those who showed maximal erotic arousal for sexual partners aged 6-12 years. These findings will be discussed in the context of recent studies which suggest that sexual deviations in the male relate to altered dominant hemispheric functions with disruption of frontal interhemispheric relationships.

[The effect of ionic and nonionic x-ray contrast media on myocardial perfusion and myocardial function]. / Wirkung ionischer und nichtionischer Röntgenkontrastmittel auf die Myokardperfusion und Myokardfunktion.

The influence of injections of Amidotrizoate and Iopromide into the left coronary artery on global myocardial perfusion and function (pressures in the left ventricle, heart rate) as well as excitation formation and transmission was studied in 16 patients with ischaemic heart disease. No statistically significant differences in myocardial perfusion measured were found with xenon-133 in this small group between rest and dipyridamole load for ionic and non-ionic contrast media.

Low-dosed antithyroid drug monotherapy in hyperthyroidism.

In the antithyroid drug therapy, an initial treatment with low doses (10-15 mg) of methimazole (MMI) leads to satisfactory improvement in nearly all cases and even 5 mg MMI are sufficient in more than 50% of all patients. Additional intake of thyroid hormones (Th) is not necessary, if the MMI-dosage is reduced accordingly to the individual course of treatment. Consequent follow -up is to recommend anyway, particularly under the higher MMI-doses and in the first time, respectively. Consecutive measurement of total T-3 helps in assessment of euthyroidism under treatment, whereas the response to MMI is indicated more correct by total T-4. Serial determinations of serum-TSH are very helpful to decide about the cessation of treatment. If any goitre growth occurs, it seems not to be TSH-mediated in every case. Skin reactions as side-effect of high MMI-doses can be prevented by use of low doses.

ATP-dependent proton transport into vesicles of microsomal membranes of Zea mays coleoptiles.

ATP-dependent proton pumps were found in the vesicles of microsomal membrane fractions of maize coleoptiles. Two membrane fractions isolated by density gradient centrifugation were identified by the aid of marker enzymes and electron microscopic analysis. Membrane fraction A largely consisted of vesicles of smooth ER and of the Golgi complex, fraction B predominantly of vesicles of plasmalemma and rough ER. The pH-indicator, neutral red, was used to measure changes in pH in the vesicles after ATP addition. Due to the binding of protonated neutral red molecules (NRH+) to negative charges of the energized membrane, a strong metachromasy of NRH+-absorption can be observed. Therefore, in order to accurately measure delta pH a pH-dependent change in absorption of neutral red covering the whole NR-spectrum was set up as difference spectra. The commonly employed method of measuring delta A of neutral red at just one wavelength (525 nm) leads to entirely incorrect results. It could be demonstrated that the ATP-dependent translocation of H+-ions into the interior of the vesicles was most efficient at pH 7. Acidification, which reaches its maximum 10--15 min after ATP addition, can be reverted by adding CCCP. An ATP-dependent proton-translocation into the vesicles of fraction B was also observed, however, the proton translocation is less than that found in fraction A in relation to the amount or protein found in each. The membrane fraction A displays a strong oxidation of NADH subsequently followed by an alkalization of the medium. This process cannot be reverted by adding CCCP. NADH oxidation at membranes of fraction A is consequently not an integral part of a redox-pump. A possible significance of the ATP-dependent proton pump in membranes of the ER and Golgi fraction of coleoptiles is discussed in connection with auxin induced elongation growth.