The curvature problem in general relativity

This essay investigates the relationships among the metric, the connection, the curvature, and the covariant curvature derivatives in general relativity. The extent to which the connection or the curvature together, possibly with certain curvature derivatives, determines the metric is considered, as well as other related problems. Some topological aspects of the problem are included and some applications to holonomy and symmetry groups are given.This article received honorable mention from the Gravity Research Foundation for 1987.     

Many years of experiences in internal quality control in the toxicological analysis of biological material in the field of occupational medicine

Summary Toxicological analysis in blood and urine for biological monitoring of occupationally exposed persons must be carried out in the Federal Republic of Germany under an internal and external quality control scheme. The results of many years of experiences with 5 commercially available control specimens (1 blood, 1 serum, 3 urine samples) from three companies for internal quality assurance are presented. Precision and accuracy were evaluated by comparison of our results with the data of the initial period (within day precision of the methods) and the assigned values. Over years the commercially available control specimens show good comparable results. Except in a few cases, there was a good agreement between our results and the assigned values. An expected worldwide increase of the importance of biological monitoring makes the availability of control specimens for everyday use a prerequisite in effective internal quality control. This is especially valid for the determination of organic compounds, e.g. solvents and pesticides in blood and urine samples.     

Self-assembled low-molecular-weight gelator injectable microgel beads for delivery of bioactive agents

We report the preparation of hybrid self-assembled microgel beads by combining the low molecular weight gelator (LMWG) DBS-CONHNH₂ and the natural polysaccharide calcium alginate polymer gelator (PG). Microgel formulations based on LMWGs are extremely rare due to the fragility of the self-assembled networks and the difficulty of retaining any imposed shape. Our hybrid beads contain interpenetrated LMWG and PG networks, and are obtained by an emulsion method, allowing the preparation of spherical gel particles of controllable sizes with diameters in the mm or μm range. Microgels based on LMWG/alginate can be easily prepared with reproducible diameters <1 μm (ca. 800 nm). They are stable in water at room temperature for many months, and survive injection through a syringe. The rapid assembly of the LMWG on cooling plays an active role in helping control the diameter of the microgel beads. These LMWG microbeads retained the ability of the parent gel to deliver the bioactive molecule heparin, and in cell culture medium this enhanced the growth of human mesenchymal stem cells. Such microgels may therefore have future applications in tissue repair. This approach to fabricating LMWG microgels is a platform technology, which could potentially be applied to a variety of different functional LMWGs, and hence has wide-ranging potential.

We report microgel beads with diameters of ca. 800 nm based on interpenetrating networks of a low-molecular-weight gelator and a polymer gelator, and demonstrate their use as heparin delivery vehicles to enhance stem cell growth.     

An Optical Particle Counting System for Testing Industrial Pulse-Cleaned Cartridge Dust Collectors

An optical particle counting system has been developed for testing industrial pulse-cleaned cartridge dust collectors. The system is applied to measure fractional penetration of a full scale dust collector and to study its short term and long term dynamic behavior. Results show collector efficiencies for dust loadings of 23 g/m³ exceeding 99.999% over the particle size range from 0.5 μm to 10 μm, with a minimum fractional penetration occurring at approximately 2 μm.     

Determination of the endocannabinoid anandamide in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

Anandamide (N-arachidonylethanolamine) is an endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand that has been implicated in various physiological and pathophysiological functions. In the present study, a liquid-liquid extraction-based reversed-phase HPLC method with fluorometric detection was validated and applied for the analysis of anandamide in human plasma. Following derivatization with the fluorogenic reagent 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-(N-chloroformylmethyl-N-methyl-amino)-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-COCl), the analyte was separated using an acetonitrile-water gradient at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min, and spectrophotometric detection at 560 nm with an excitation wavelength of 450 nm. The retention times for anandamide and R+-methanandamide (internal standard) were 27.1 and 30.7 min, respectively. The validated quantification range was 1-15 ng/mL. The developed procedure was applied to determine anandamide levels in human plasma following a 24 h incubation of human whole blood at 37 degrees C in the presence or absence of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, an inhibitor of the anandamide-degrading enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase. Anandamide levels determined under both conditions were within the validated concentration range with anandamide levels being 2.3-fold higher in plasma from PMSF-treated blood.     

Combination of radon and stable isotope analysis as a tool for decision support concerning the remediation of NAPL-contaminated sites

The non-aqueous phase-liquid (NAPL)-contaminated aquifer at a major refinery site in Mexico was investigated. Owing to the depth of the contaminated aquifer section (NAPL source zone) of over 100 m below the surface, the actual aquifer material was not accessible for sampling. Information on the residual NAPL contamination of the aquifer could only be obtained indirectly by analysing groundwater samples from a few wells available at the site. To tackle the problem, an approach alternative to conventional groundwater analysis for dissolved NAPL was chosen. For evaluating the recent contamination and estimating its probable future development, the radioisotope radon-222 and the stable isotopes 13C, 34S and 18O were used as naturally occurring contamination tracers and process indicators. Radon was used as partitioning tracer for the approximate localization and semi-quantitative assessment of the NAPL source zone. The stable isotopes were used as indicators for naturally occurring biodegradation processes, which might potentially be implemented into future remediation schemes.     

Spiroketals: The synthesis of an olive fly pheromone component, 4-hydroxy-1,7-dioxaspiro[5,5]undecane, via a novle cation-olefin cyclisation step

An acid-catalysed rearrangement of the THP-ether of homoallylic alcohol gives ready access to an 0-protected derivative of 4-hydroxytetrahydropyran and thence by two further steps to provide a short and highly stereoselective route to the title spiroketal.