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Three patients were enrolled, two as hemophiliacs, and one with acute EBV infection. Serial serum samples of each patient were tested with at least 3 different HIV antibody EIA tests, an immunofluo-rescent test and two western blots (WB). In the third case, PCR and reverse transcriptase enzyme activity measurement were also done. One of the regularly checked serum samples of hemophiliac patients was reactive with different HIV screening and confirmatory assays. Their next blood samples, two weeks and one month later, respectively, were negative with the same tests. In Case 3. two and a half years after the first examination, the EIA tests results changed to negative, but the WB was still indeterminate. In the case of the two hemophiliac patients, the patients may have been exposed to HIV containing blood products (before 1985), but were not infected. Regular treatment with factor VIII concentrate, in which HIV antigens may be present, can boost the immune response and results in transient seropositivity. In the case of the EBV infected patient, the transient HIV seropositivity may be the consequence of EBV induced proliferation of anti-HIV-antibody producing B cell clones. During our ten year HIV confirmatory practice we tested more than 40000 samples, from which transient seropositivity were observed only in the three cases summarized in this paper.

Fiber evanescent-field analysis (FEFA) is a novel and promising sensor technique for on-line and in situ analysis of hydrocarbons in water. With a conventional IR light source and FTIR spectroscopy it allows multicomponent analysis, while the use of mid-infrared (MIR) tunable diode lasers (TDLs) results in sensitive and selective single-component analysis. A new modulation technique operates the diodes with short pulses in combination with base-current modulation. Conventionally these lasers are used for trace-gas analysis with spectral features of 10 −6 spectral resolution. For the new evanescent-wave analysis with laser diodes (EWALD) sensor application, broadband spectra must be scanned, which does not allow high-resolution techniques to be used. The laser emission bandwidth does not need to be small, 10 −3 to 10 −4 resolution is sufficient, but the wavelength scan range must be about 10 −2 . In short-pulse mode, this can be achieved; furthermore, the laser can be used at higher operation temperature for more convenient application. The laser modulation characteristics are dependent on operation temperature, base-current, and pulse-current width and amplitude. The influence of these parameters and their optimization will be discussed.

Bott Family and Social Network (1957) Hb: 0-415-26417-0 Chertok Motherhood and Personality (1969) Hb: 0-415-26418-9 E. Goldberg Family Influences and Psychosomatic Illness (1958) Hb: 0-415-26419-7 Kellner Family Ill Health (1963) Hb: 0-415-26420-0 Ryle Neurosis in the Ordinary Family (1967) Hb: 0-415-26421-9 GBP70.00 Winnicott and Hardenberg The Child and the Family (1957) Hb: 0-415-26422-7

An eighteen month follow-up of chronic nightmare sufferers treated with imagery rehearsal, a cognitive-behavioral method, demonstrated significant and clinically meaningful decreases in nightmare frequency. Sixty-eight percent of subjects decreased their nightmares below criteria for a “Chronic Nightmare Disorder”. Significant improvement was also noted for sleep quality and daytime anxiety. The findings support the theory that nightmares may be clinically conceptualized as a primary sleep disorder in some chronic sufferers.

Tapered silver halide fibers were used for the first time for high-sensitivity fiber evanescent wave spectroscopic (FEWS) measurements of chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) in water at trace level. The sensor arrangement consisted of a tunable diode laser (TDL) source, a polymer-coated and tapered silver halide fiber, and a direct fiber/mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) detector coupling. A minimum detection limit of 50 μg L−1 was achieved by using a polyisobutylene-coated fiber with a 1:4 tapering ratio. The sensor response is in the minute range and shows reversible analyte enrichment.

The response behaviour of a sensor for chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHC) in water was evaluated practically and theoretically. The sensor consisted of polymer-coated attenuated total reflection (ATR) elements coated with different polymers such as low-density polyethylene polyisobutylene and ethylene/propylene copolymer and was based on the diffusion behaviour of the CHC in different polymer layers. The purpose of the polymer coating was to enrich chlorinated hydrocarbons and to exclude water from the information depth of the penetrating infrared (IR) radiation. The coated ATR crystals were mounted in a flow-through cell and placed inside the sample chamber of the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer equipped with a mercury-cadmium-telluride detector. Measurements were performed by filling the cell with aqueous solutions of CHC and recording a series of spectra with constant time offset. The aim of this study was to investigate the diffusion behaviour and to determine the diffusion coefficient of three CHC (monochlorobenzene, tetrachloroethylene and chloroform) in polymer matrices in order to optimize the sensor response. For that reason an already existing theoretical model was modified. Using this new model numerical simulations of the diffusion processes occurring in the aqueous and polymer phase with respect to different partition coefficients, different diffusion coefficients and different thicknesses were performed. A classical Fickian response was found to be the dominant diffusion behaviour observed for the diffusion of chlorinated hydrocarbons into the polymers. This work showed the importance to understand the diffusion processes in different polymer materials for optimizing a fiber optic sensing system for CHCs in water.

In this paper the detection of several gaseous species of chlorofluorohydrocarbons such as 1,2-dichlorotetrafluoroethane (R 114) or trifluoromethane (R 23) using the fiber optic evanescent field absorption spectroscopy is presented. By coupling mid-infrared transparent silver halide fibers to a conventional Fourier transform infrared spectrometer reasonable results could be obtained in the concentration range of 1–15% of the gas species diluted in synthetic air using a gas sensing device exploiting uncoated fibers. As shown for the example R 114 the enrichment of the analyte in a polymer layer (low-density polyethylene, polyisobutylene) coating the fiber lowered the detection limit to 0.1%.

Polymer-coated attenuated total reflection (ATR) elements have been used to compare the diffusion behavior and enrichment from aqueous solutions of three different chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) — monochlorobenzene (MCB), chloroform (CF), and tetrachloroethylene (TeCE)—into different polymers. The influence of polymer properties such as glass transition temperature and crystallinity and the effect of the polymer background IR absorption and varying thicknesses of the polymer membranes to the detectability were investigated. The crystallinity and the glass transition temperature have a very pronounced influence on the velocity of the diffusion process, whereas the partition coefficient influences the amount of CHC diffusing into the polymer membrane. The time constants for 90% saturation of the polymer with the test analytes are in the range of 8 to 40 min, depending on the nature of the polymer and analyte. A linear calibration graph was obtained for simultaneous detection of all three test analytes in the range from 5 mg/L to 100 mg/L CHC with detection limits of 1.5 to 2 mg/L. Coefficients for CHC partitioning between water and polymers measured by ATR/IR were in good agreement with values determined by GC/MS.

Room-temperature infrared (IR) and Raman and low-temperature (100 and 77 K) IR spectra of R 2 MCl 4 have been recorded in the 4000–50 cm -1 frequency range. The metal ions Zn(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) form a series of increasing ionic radius, while the counter ions [Bu 4 N] + , [Et 4 N] + , Rb + and Cs + reflect the order of decreasing bulkiness. According to the IR and Raman spectra, the [ML 4 ] 2- units are a distorted tetrahedron, the distortion away from the tetrahedral structure increasing with the increasing size of the counter ion. Additional splittings due to the vibration-electronic coupling (Jahn-Teller coupling) was observed for the Cu(II) and Ni(II) compounds.

The level of total cholesterol in human blood serum samples is determined by flow-injection analysis. A. 70-μl sample is injected into a phosphate buffer stream, pH 7.0, and led through an enzymatic reactor, which contains cholesterol esterase and cholesterol oxidase immobilized on controlled pore glass. The enzymatically released hydrogen peroxide is detected with 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) in a peroxidase catalyzed reaction. A linear calibration is obtained in the clinically important range from 0.11 to 8.6 mmol 1−1. The indicator system is compared to the commonly used aminoantipyrine-phenol reagent. The potential interferents studied include bilirubin, triglycerides, haemolyzed serum, glucose, urea, uric acid, and citric acid. The accuracy of the method is established by comparison with a clinically established method based on spectrophotometric endpoint evaluation.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) were monitored using a recently presented infrared fiber-optic physico-chemical sensor consisting of an MIR transparent, polymer coated, silver halide fiber coupled to a commercial FTIR spectrometer. The aim of this study was to test the performance of this new fiber optic sensing device with respect to temperature dependence, simultaneous detection of several CHCs, sensitivity and dynamic response behavior. In addition the diffusion process of the CHCs into the polymer was analyzed in order to better understand and evaluate the obtained results. During the investigation of the temperature dependence of the sensor response to real trend could be observed in the temperature range of 0 to 22°C. The dynamic response of the sensor is in the minute range when experiencing an increase in concentration of the analyte while with a decrease in concentration, the response is relatively slow. The sensor enabled the detection of 10 environmentally relevant CHCs at concentrations of 1 to 50ppm. The simulation of the experimental diffusion data revealed Fick's 1st law diffusion for CHCs into the polymer layers. Finally the sensing device was validated with head space-gas chromatography (HSGC) analyses and showed good agreement with these already established methods. This work shows the great potential of IR fiber optic sensors as early warning systems for a variety of CHCs in water (“threshold alarm sensor”)

A new method of optical gas sensing is presented which uses evanescent waves of optical fibers. Gas detection can be done in a simple, flexible, and possibly distributed way using a single optical fiber as both the sensor with an active element of 10 cm and the transmission line for optical signals. The detection of several single gaseous species — such as hexane, trichloro-trifluoro-ethane, methane, acetone, etc. — as well as gaseous mixtures in a concentration range of 1–10% could be achieved with an average reproducibility of 2–3% with a chalcogenide fiber optic coupled to an IFS 88 Bruker spectrometer.

In this work the influence of the substrate geometry on FT-IR microspectroscopical transmission measurements is reported with special emphasis on the impact on the lateral resolution. Mid-infrared transparent fibers (chalcogenide glass) and even substrates (zinc selenide ATR crystal) were sprayed with drops (drop size distribution: 15 to 150 μm in diameter) of an organic polymer with specific absorption bands in the mid-infrared range. Quadratic scans along the surface of the fiber and of the even substrate gave information about whether the drops distributed on the surface appear laterally resolved, by maintaining the local information in the resulting contour plot. Several scans with different microscopic apertures accentuate the relation between the diameter of the focused IR beam on the sample surface and the broadening of the drop image in the contour plot.

In this work the development and validation of a new MIR fiber-optic physicochemical sensor system for the continuous in situ analysis of chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) in water is described. This study took advantage of the selectivity and sensitivity of fiber evanescent wave spectroscopy (FEWS) and the recent development of polycrystalline silver halide fibers. Since these fibers are transparent up to 20 μm, it was possible for the first time to develop a fiber-optic sensing system for CHCs, which have their strongest absorption bands > 10 μm. The silver halide fibers were coated with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) to enrich the CHC within the evanescent wave and to exclude the IR absorbing water from the measurement. For the quantitative in situ FEWS measurements, the coated silver halide fibers were coupled to a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer using an off-axis parabolic mirror and a fiber-detector coupling system. This setup enabled the simultaneous in situ detection of the most common chlorinated hydrocarbons in concentrations between 1 to 50 mg/L in water by employing a fiber sensing part only 10 cm in length. A comparative analysis of waste water samples under participation of two experienced head space-gas chromatography (HSGC) laboratories showed good agreement of this continuous sensor system with the established standard techniques. The resulting working curve for tetrachloroethylene showed a correlation coefficient of r2 = 0.968 and a relative standard deviation of 17% in the range from 1 to 10 ppm.

The molecular structures of five-coordinate Cu(dien)L2 (dien = diethylenetriamine; LNO3−, Br−, Cl−, ClO4−) have been examined by molecular mechanics (MM2). All compounds have dien in the meridional (mer) position and k,k′ (symmetric) conformation. The dien position, however, differs from the rigorous mer form as to the NCuN (N-terminal) being less than the expected 180°. The IR bands of these compounds in the 50–4000 cm−1 range have been recorded in the solid state and assigned on the basis of normal coordinate analysis (potential energy distribution) of the dien molecule. The experimental IR spectra of the studied compounds were compared with frequencies calculated by the MOPAC 6.0 package assuming dien to be coordinated in fac and mer positions. The comparison shows that in fact the dien ligand in the studied compounds should be midway between the fac and mer positions.

The combination of flow-injection analysis (FIA) with FT-IR spectrometry as detector is discussed for the determination of glucose in aqueous samples. Time-domain and frequency-domain signal processing are compared and frequency-domain signal processing is found to give superior qualitative and quantitative information. With frequency-domain signal processing, the enzymatic degradation of glucose can be used for its measurement. This method is shown to be successfully applicable in the physiologically interesting concentration range (50–500 mg dl −1 ). For the quantitative measurement, the difference signal of the sample before and after the reaction is evaluated. Although this approach should theoretically render the method insensitive towards other sample constituents, even with glucose-fructose mixtures severe interferences exist. A possible explanation is the influence on the background spectrum by the pH shift occurring during the reaction.

In numerous cases the technique of Fiberoptic Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy (FEWS) offers great advantages over regular IR spectroscopic methods. It provides an easy way for measuring the absorption spectra of highly absorbing or highly scattering samples. With FEWS one can perform measurements in situ and in real time and this is potentially useful for measurements on biological samples or for the monitoring of chemical reactions. Several types of IR spectroscopy systems: a Fourier Transform IR (FTIR) system, tunable lead salt lasers (TDL) which were operated continuously (CW) and a tunable CO 2 laser are discussed as FEWS system.

Flow injection analysis with FTIR detection in combination with enzyme catalyzed reactions is used for the determination of glucose and urea in aqueous solution. Due to the specific enzymatic reactions and the spectroscopic detection, the simultaneous determination of both analytes is possible.

The principles of coating silver halide fibers with polymers was used to analyze different chlorinated hydrocarbons in water simultaneousely. The sensing system, based on Fiber Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy (FEWS), was composed of a mid infrared (MIR) transparent silver halide fiber coupled to a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer and enabled the detection of the most widespread organochlorides in the lower ppm-range due to their specific absorptions in the MIR-range.

A new approach for the determination of cholesterol and triglycerides is presented. After the ex-traction of the sample's lipid content into an organic solvent, an infrared (IR) spectrum of the organic phase is recorded using a 10 cm piece of an uncoated chalcogenide fiber, which is incorporated in a flow cell. The characteristic absorption bands of the lipid constituents cholesterol, cholesteryl esters and triglycerides are evaluated. The method covers the biological and clinical interesting range and the detection limit for the lipid constituents varies from 1 to 4 mmol/l.

We examined the onsets of comorbid psychiatric disorders in patients with panic disorder (PD) ( N = 54). In 42 patients (77.8%), PD was preceded by another psychiatric condition (secondary PD group), while in 12 patients (22.2%), PD occurred first or was the only diagnosed mental disorder (primary PD group). Patients with primary and secondary PD did not differ with respect to demographic variables, mean ages of onset of PD, mean duration of PD, number of patients with a personality disorder, and number of patients with different DSM-III-R subtypes of PD. Except for the anger and sleep scales of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 90, patients with primary PD had significantly less self-rated psychopathology; they also displayed less extensive phobic avoidance, and had a lower rate of current psychiatric comorbidity. These findings are discussed in light of the value of the concepts of comorbidity and primary / secondary dichotomy.

The frequency of symptoms during panic attacks and anticipation of the panic consequences were compared in patients with the subtypes of panic disorder (PD). Patients with moderate and severe agoraphobic avoidance reported that they had experienced more symptoms than patients with an uncomplicated PD (without agoraphobia [AG]); they also experienced almost all of the symptoms more frequently, with the difference being significant for a quarter of the examined panic symptoms. Panic patients with moderate and severe AG were also significantly more concerned about the loss of control and social and physical consequences of panic attacks. Taken together, these findings suggest that the severity of panic attacks, defined as the number of panic symptoms, along with a variety of anticipatory fears about the consequences of the attacks may contribute to the development of AG in panic patients.

Objective: To review the published studies on the sex distribution of hypochondriasis, and to examine sex differences in hypochondriacal concerns and in attitudes toward illness. Method: The Illness Attitude Scales, Factors 2 and 3 of the Whiteley Index and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) were administered to fifty randomly-selected female family practice patients ages eighteen to sixty-five, and to male patients matched by age in decades. From a pool of 130 consecutive nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients, fifty females and fifty males were matched with the family practice patients. Results: Although females rated themselves as more depressed than males in both groups, there were no significant differences between the sexes in hypochondriacal fears and beliefs. Psychiatric male patients reported the most adverse effects of bodily symptoms on work and leisure. There were no other significant differences between the sexes in any of the other attitudes toward illness or symptoms. Hypochondriacal concerns were more common in the psychiatric patients than in the family practice patients of both sexes. Conclusion: The review of published studies on the sex distribution of hypochondriasis suggests that disease phobia is more common in females, except for the cardiophobic syndrome, which is more common in males. The other reported differences are inconsistent and appear to be caused by referral biases, varying diagnostic criteria, and cultural factors. In our study, we found no substantial differences between males and females in hypochondriacal concerns and attitudes toward illness.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of one session of instructions on the frequency of chronic nightmares and on self-rated distress. METHOD Twenty-eight volunteers with chronic nightmares (mean duration = 19 years) were treated with either one session of desensitization with instructions on how to practice this treatment or with one session of instructions to change the nightmare and how to rehearse the new version. The authors administered four scales of the SCL-90 and the corresponding scales of the Symptom Questionnaire. RESULTS At 7-month follow-up of 23 patients, there was a significant reduction in the frequency of nightmares and significant decreases in self-rated depression, anxiety, and hostility. There were no significant differences between the effects of the two types of treatment. In four patients, whose mean duration of nightmares was 23 years, the nightmares ceased. CONCLUSIONS The results of this preliminary study suggests that the instructions given to the patients reduced the frequency of their chronic nightmares and decreased their self-rated distress.

Diagnoses of comorbid disorders were determined in a sample of 54 patients with panic disorder as defined in DSM-III-R. The sample was divided into the following three groups: (1) uncomplicated panic disorder (PDU); (2) panic disorder with mild agoraphobia (PDM); and (3) panic disorder with moderate to severe agoraphobia (PDA). In comparison with patients with PDU, patients with PDA had higher comorbidity rates in general, received multiple comorbid diagnoses more frequently, had a higher prevalence of major depression, dysthymia, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and scored higher on most measures of self-rated psychopathology. These findings support the notion that PDA may be a disorder essentially different from PDU.

The purpose of this study was to examine correlates of hypochondriacal fears and beliefs in patients with panic disorder (PD) (n = 54). They were evaluated using the structured diagnostic interviews for axis I and axis II disorders (SCID-UP-R and SCID-II). They were administered the Illness Attitudes Scales (IAS) as a measure of hypochondriacal fears and beliefs, the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 90 (HSCL), and the Fear Questionnaire (FQ). One half of the patients rated themselves as having substantial hypochondriacal fears and beliefs. The sample was divided into groups of patients seeking predominantly treatment or relief from symptoms (treatment-oriented), and those who were searching for a cause of their illness (explanation-seeking): the latter had significantly more hypochondriacal concerns. Avoidant, histrionic, and borderline personalities were more common in the hypochondriacal group. The results of several analyses suggest that patients with PD who are also agoraphobic, fear physical disease more and have more false beliefs of having a disease than PD patients without agoraphobia.

In order to examine the relationship of self-rated inhibited anger to somatization, the authors administered several self-rating scales, including the SCL-90 and a Likert scale pertaining to inhibited anger, to psychiatric patients and family practice patients of both sexes. In a linear stepwise regression, depression predicted inhibited anger in all four groups. Previous studies have reported an association of inhibited anger and somatization; the present study suggests that depression is the link between the two in the majority of patients. The relationship of inhibited anger to depression may have implications for psychotherapy.

In order to examine the relationship of dyspnea to anxiety and depression, the authors rated dyspnea using several methods in 50 patients with chronic respiratory impairment. Anxiety and depression were measured by the Symptom Checklist-90 and the Symptom Questionnaire. Results varied with the method of assessing dyspnea. Physician-rated dyspnea was significantly associated with patients' self-ratings of breathlessness as well as with pulmonary function tests, but not with any of the self-rating scales of emotions. Self-rated breathlessness was significantly associated with self-rated depression. In multiple regression analyses, depression was predictive of breathlessness. When the sample was limited to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the results remained the same. The patients were significantly more depressed and anxious than matched family practice patients. In the study of the complex relationship of dyspnea to physical and emotional factors, it is desirable to use more than one measure of dyspnea because the results depend in part on the method of assessment.

The principles of measuring anxiety are reviewed. Scales of anxiety differ in their time focus: state-anxiety scales measure the present or recent past, whereas trait-anxiety scales measure the ways the subject generally feels. Commonly used scales have adequate validity, but there is incomplete agreement on the boundaries of the construct of anxiety. There are consistent differences in sensitivity among anxiety scales, and they vary greatly in the number of items, number of cues and in the method of scoring. For self-rating scales a large number of items with only two cues (e.g. ‘yes’ and ‘no’), or only two scores for each item, increases the sensitivity of the scale for screening as well as for detecting differences between drug and placebo. A large number of cues decreases the sensitivity of a self-rating scale; it is unknown whether a large number of cues is advantageous in group research, but a small number of items is adequate both for rating and self-rating scales.

An ATR-FTIR-spectroscopic sensor for aldehydes and ketones in solutions is presented. A germanium-ATR-crystal was coated with polymethacrylic acid hydrazide, which is crosslinked on the crystal surface. The spectral changes after the reaction of polymethacrylic acid hydrazide with various carbonyl compounds such as formaldehyde, benzaldehyde and acetone were investigated and the regeneration of polymethacrylic acid hydrazide was shown. Measurement series for propionic aldehyde in the range of 1 to 20%w/v were realized and could be quantified easily with good reproducibility but relatively high response time.

The Screening List for Psychosocial Problems (SLP) is a self-rating scale of problems and symptoms for clinical work in psychiatry. Although the SLP contains an extensive list of problems, scanning of the patient responses allows the clinician to determine rapidly which psychological or social problems or psychiatric symptoms the patients finds most troublesome. The SLP is subsequently conducive to a more efficient clinical interview, allowing the clinician to focus on the issues the patient reports as the most distressing. Since the SLP consists of validated scales, it can also be used for conventional psychological measurements. The individual scales are sensitive to change and they can be used as measures of change with treatment.

Four patients (three with the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and one with panic disorder) with recurring and extremely distressing nightmares were treated with one session in which the patients were advised to rehearse the nightmare, and to imagine a different ending. In three patients the nightmares ceased abruptly with no recurrences on follow-up. None of the three patients who recovered managed to imagine a favorable ending of the nightmare, so factors other than a triumphant ending appeared to be the effective ingredient of the treatment.

The importance of education and training grows with the complexity and practical need of a given subject. Especially in times of rapid evolution such as the introduction of new measurement principles and advanced computers into Analytical Chemistry (AC) a quick update of curricula is necessary. A basic equivalence of undergraduate curricula should be reached to stimulate the world wide exchange of students

The consecutive immobilization of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTS) and glytaraldehyde on chalcogenide fibre surfaces was investigated using fibre-optic evanescent field absorption (FEFA). This is basically an ATR system where an infrared (IR)-transparent optical fibre is used instead of the conventional reflection element. The optical fibre has a number of advantages over the conventional ATR crystal, including mechanical flexibility, potential for remote sensing, miniaturization and relatively low cost. The use of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry yielded spectra at various stages of the chemical processes as well as developments as a function of time. A discussion of a chalcogenide fibre as a sensor element, its potential application and absorption mechanism are presented. In situ spectroscopic measurements were carried out inside a flow-through cell. With IR sensors, the evanescent wave from IR-transmitting fibres has been used to monitor the progress of the silanization and immobilization processes of its surfaces based on evanescent phenomena. To our best knowledge, this experiment marks the first utilization of a chalcogenide fibre for chemical surface modification as well as sensing the chemical processes involved by IR spectroscopy.

An attempt is made to track the changes in the vibrational modes that are Jahn-Teller active of some pseudotetrahedral MCl 4 2− ions. The infrared and Raman spectra of powder (Et 4 N) 2 MCl 4 , M=Ni, Cu, Zn and of Cu- and Ni-doped (Et 4 N) 2 ZnCl 4 were recorded both at room temperature and at 77, 100 and 170 K. The room temperature spectra show that for NiCl 4 2− and CuCl 4 2− if present the Jahn-Teller distortions are dynamically averaged and the transitions can be accounted for as intrasheet vibronic transitions. The low-temperature spectra however show splittings that are indicative of a low symmetry field thus suggestingthat at 77 K the NiCl 4 2− and CuCl 4 2− are vibronically stabilized in a static C 2v field. The doped compound spectra reveal that the Zn matrix effect overrides the static Jahn-Teller distortions present in the free ion spectra. In the CuCl 4 2− spectrum a band at 2700 cm −1 with side bands + v (a 1 ), − v (t 2 s ) was detected and it was assigned to the 2 B 2g → 2 B 1g transition arising from the split 2 T 2 term in D 2h site symmetry.

The author lists the main theories of somatization and some of the pertinent empirical studies. The studies suggest that there is no single theory that can adequately explain somatization, which is not only multifactorially determined but is an exceedingly complex phenomenon. There is consistent empirical support for some of the theories, such as somatization being a function of depression or of anxiety, and little or inconsistent research support for some other theories, such as its being a symbolic method of communication or an attempt at conflict resolution. The contributions of the various etiological factors differ from one individual to the next, and it requires sometimes lengthy exploration before the extent of the various contributions can be gleaned.

As the analysis of glucose and urea is of special interest in the field of clinical and process analysis, an enzymatic FIA-FTIR system is presented, based on the reactions of glucose to gluconic acid using glucose oxidase as well as of urea to ammonium carbonate catalyzed by urease. The method is tested with standard solutions, with samples simulating the blood composition and with a variety of fruit juices and soft drinks. Whereas the systematic error is within few percent, as concluded from the slope of the calibration graph, the reproducibility of the method is up to now not satisfactory for routine applications in process analysis and has to be improved.

The response behavior of a polymer-coated mid-infrared fiber optical sensor for chlorinated hydrocarbons in water is evaluated practically and theoretically. The sensor response to the target analytes tri- and tetrachloroethylene obtained in a muddy waste water sample is shown to be unaffected by other trace organic pollutants. A theoretical model is presented which can be used to predict the response of this sensing device. The use of this model allows to simulate the sensor response not only for increasing chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations, but rather for any change in its concentration in the surrounding medium. In addition, the asymmetric sensor response, depending on the direction of the concentration change and the lag time after a concentration change can be explained by digital simulations and are shown to occur due to diffusion processes in the membrane.

A novel fiber optic evanescent wave spectroscopy (FEWS) system is based on a tunable diode laser (TDL) source, on a polymer-coated AgClBr infrared transmitting fiber, and on a mercury cadmium telluride detector. This system was used for sensing low levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons n water. The detection limit was 100 myg/l (100 ppb), which is an improvement by a factor of 50 in comparison to a similar system that is based on a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, and the measurement time was reduced by a factor of 3. The TDL-FEWS system shows significant potential for in situ monitoring of ground water.