Case Study: Doping Substances in Equestrian Food Supplements

In the course of investigations on equestrian supplemental products for the presence of doping substances, two products were found to contain forbidden substances. As reported earlier a plant extract (Mexican cactus extract) named “Energy 5” contained the anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) stanozolol, 17β-hydroxy-17α-methyl-5α-androstane-3β-ol (3β,5α-THMT) as well as mestanolone not declared on the label. In the present study, a product called “Super Kalm Paste” was tested. Analysis by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed that the preparation contained the class I anti-arrhythmics quinine (trade names Kinidin^TM, Durules) and cinchonine. The samples were prepared according to a sample preparation procedure established for anabolic steroids in nutritional supplements for humans. The sample treatment comprised the extraction and purification of the analytes as well as the chemical conversion with N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyl-trifluoracetamide (MSTFA) to yield the trimethylsilyl (TMS)-derivatives. To verify whether the administration of such products could lead to positive doping tests, a pilot excretion study on “Energy 5” was conducted with two geldings, and urine samples were collected. Gas chromatography - high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) after solid phase extraction and mixed derivatisation has demonstrated the presence of the stanozolol metabolite 16β-hydroxy-stanozolol in urine samples after “Energy 5” application.     

Atomic resolution of defects in graphite studied by STM

Different kinds of defects in graphite with a resolution up to atomic scale have been investigated using STM. Mono-atomic steps on the surface as well as bended graphite layers with height differences less than 0.1 nm originating from defects (steps) in the bulk have been uncovered. The influence of such defects on the appearance of superstructures in the surrounding area is demonstrated. Ribbons, with a few nanometers width and less than 1 nm height, and prismatic loops were resolved. Height variations in the range of a few tenths of nanometer as a result of missed and inserted carbon layers have been revealed. To our knowledge, for the first time defect lines on graphite are presented with an atomic resolution. The defect lines are several microns long and only 1–3 atoms in width. Received: 24 June 1996 / Revised: 24 January 1997 / Accepted: 29 January 1997     

Nonresonant dielectric hole burning in neat and binary organic glass formers

Binary mixtures of the molecular glass former 2-picoline in oligostyrene, in which the dielectric response of 2-picoline exhibits a particularly broad distribution of correlation times, are investigated by nonresonant dielectric hole-burning (NDHB) spectroscopy and the results are compared with NDHB in neat systems, in particular, glycerol. It turns out that in both substance classes spectral selectivity is achieved, which indicates that dynamics is heterogeneous, i.e., slow and fast responses coexist in the material. However, in binary systems the position of the spectral modifications is completely determined by the spectral density of the pump field, and thus shifts linearly with burn frequency as expected, also at pump frequencies around the alpha-relaxation maximum. It is shown that in binary systems the lifetime tau(rec) of the spectral modifications is determined by the burn frequency omega(p) and exceeds its inverse by about one order of magnitude, indicating long-lived dynamic heterogeneity. The data are described in terms of a previously suggested model of dynamically selective heating, which was extended to include intrinsic nonexponential relaxation. It turns out that the spectral broadening in binary mixtures is not only due to pronounced dynamic heterogeneity, but partially also due to intrinsic broadening of the relaxation function.     

Almost constant sequences and well-distribution in compact groups

We study the properties of sequences (c _n ) in a compact groupG such that (x _n ) being (weakly) well-distributed implies (c _n x _n ) being (weakly) well-distributed and give a complete characterisation in terms of almost constant sequences as well as a generalisation to non-compact locally compact groups.     

Norm inequalities for spherical means

The regularity and integrability of spherical means of functions inL ^p ( ⁿ ,n2, are studied. Sharp results are obtained.     

Thermoanalytische Charakterisierung Strahlengehärteter Polymerfilme

Thermo-oxidative and thermo-mechanical stabilities of radiation-cured acrylates and epoxides were examined by TG, DMA and DSC.The polymeric trifunctional acrylates PETIA, TMPTA and THEIC displayed the highest temperatures of onset of degradation. The high crosslinking density of the films resulted in an almost temperature-independent complex E-modulus, as measured by DMA. With increasing degree of ethoxylation or propoxylation of the monomers, decreases in thermal stability and strength were found. For difunctional polymeric acrylates and epoxides, the glass transition temperature was measured.The average degree of curing of UV-cured epoxy films can be determined from the temperature of the maximum in the loss modulus (E_max.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.