Steady-state characteristics of matrix converter

The matrix converter proposed by Venturini is very simple in structure and has powerful controllability. However, there are few applications especially in power electronics fields. This seems to be caused mainly by the fact that such power devices that were fast enough to suppress ringing oscillations in the supply lines and large enough to pay for more devices and more complicated control circuits than in conventional dc-link converter-inverter systems were not available. At present, static induction thyristors (SIThs) have been introduced and a new possibility for the matrix converter has been raised. This paper describes a new control strategy which is simple and practical and allows the output voltage of 0.866 times the supply voltage to be generated. Also, the new firing sequences which eliminate voltage and current spikes are proposed. Steady-state and distortion characteristics of the prototype PWM matrix converter with SITh are shown.     

Design of single-sided linear induction motors using a nonlinear optimization technique

Both low-speed wheel-on-rail and the medium-speed Maglev transport system with single-sided linear induction motor (SLIM) propulsion have been in practical application. This paper presents the method of optimizing the design parameters of SLIMs using the nonlinear optimization method. The optimization problem is formulated by the use of the design formulas taking into account the end effect, skin effect and airgap leakage, and the transformation method and the simplex method are applied to solve the problem. Seven parameters, such as the number of poles, the pole pitch and the stack height, are chosen as the independent variables. The output kW/input kVA, the maximum flux density in the core teeth, the temperature increase, the primary length, the stack height and the maximum thrust are selected as the constraint functions. The performance characteristics are estimated using space harmonic analysis as well as the approximate equations. The method is applied to the SLIM design for urban transit, and the maximum speed is about 70 km/h. As the transformation methods, the interior point transformation and the exterior point transformation are compared from the viewpoints of accuracy and CPU time. The design is analyzed under several objective functions, the primary weight, the input kVA and the cost of secondary materials.     

More tetanic contractions are required for activating glucose transport maximally in trained muscle

Exercise training increases contraction-stimulated maximal glucose transport and muscle glycogen level in skeletal muscle. However, there is a possibility that more muscle contractions are required to maximally activate glucose transport in trained than in untrained muscle, because increased glycogen level after training may inhibit glucose transport. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the increase in glucose transport and the number of tetanic contractions in trained and untrained muscle. Male rats swam 2 h/day for 15 days. In untrained epitrochlearis muscle, resting glycogen was 26.6 micromol glucose/g muscle. Ten, 10-s-long tetani at a rate of 1 contraction/min decreased glycogen level to 15.4 micromol glucose/g muscle and maximally increased 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) transport. Training increased contraction-stimulated maximal 2-DG transport (+71%; P < 0.01), GLUT-4 protein content (+78%; P < 0.01), and resting glycogen level (to 39.3 micromol glucose/g muscle; P < 0.01) on the next day after the training ended, although this training effect might be due, at least in part, to last bout of exercise. In trained muscle, 20 tetani were necessary to maximally activate glucose transport. Twenty tetani decreased muscle glycogen to a lower level than 10 tetani (18.9 vs. 24.0 micromol glucose/g muscle; P < 0.01). Contraction-stimulated 2-DG transport was negatively correlated with postcontraction muscle glycogen level in trained (r = -0.60; P < 0.01) and untrained muscle (r = -0.57; P < 0.01).     

Overexpression of p53 protein and histologic grades of dysplasia in colorectal adenomas

PURPOSE: To clarify the relation between tumor-suppressor gene p53 expression and histologic grades of dysplasia in colorectal adenomas, we performed immunohistochemical analysis in a series of 59 colorectal polyps and 40 advanced carcinomas. METHODS: Adenomatous polyps were stained by hematoxylin and eosin and classified into mild, moderate, and severe dysplasia (intramucosal carcinoma), according to the World Health Organization's classification. RESULTS: p53 was positive in 7.1 percent (2/28) of mild, 29.4 percent (5/17) of moderate, and 62.5 percent (5/8) of severe dysplasia. In submucosal and advanced carcinomas, positivity rates were 75 percent (3/4) and 47.5 percent (19/40), respectively. Different staining patterns were found, according to grades of dysplasia. In the adenomas with mild or moderate dysplasia, a few focal crypts showed localized p53-positive staining. Adenomas with severe dysplasia had two different staining types. One was a focal staining type as shown in mild or moderate dysplasia; the other was a diffuse staining type, in which glands with mild or moderate dysplasia, surrounding severe dysplasia area, were also stained. Submucosal and advanced carcinomas showed a strong positive staining in cancer cells only. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of p53 protein in adenomas with mild or moderate dysplasia and existence of two types of expression in adenomas with severe dysplasia were observed. These facts suggested the possible existence of different pathways in the adenoma to carcinoma progression.     

A simple method for measuring wire tension in drift tubes

Measuring the tension of wires in drift tubes after construction is an important procedure because sometimes the wires get loose after soldering. The method described here uses a simple circuit for observing the change in the Lissajous pattern of a wire resonating with an external magnetic field. The vibration of the wire causes a fundamental harmonic component in the current and results in a periodic change of the Lissajous pattern. Measurement of this fundamental harmonic signal provides a precise determination of the resonance frequency and the wire tension.     

Dynamic characteristics of thermostatic expansion valvesCaractéristiques dynamiques des détendeurs thermostatiques

Analytical and experimental investigations of the factors which affect the dynamic flow response characteristics of thermostatic expansion valves have been made. From the basic equations, the flow responses of a valve can be described by transfer functions and the Bode diagram. A measuring device can be developed to obtain the frequency responses of the flow rate of a valve. The comparison between the experimental values obtained from the frequency response measurements and the calculated values obtained from the analysis showed good agreement.     

Postcyclic Recompression, Stiffness, and Consolidated Cyclic Strength of Silt

Low plasticity silts are liquefiable and the dissipation of pore pressures after an earthquake will be accompanied by densification and compression of the soil skeleton. Anisotropic rather than isotropic stress distributions are commonly found to exist in slopes or silty fills placed under K0 conditions and this can be enhanced further by the weight of overlying structures. Compression after an earthquake generally increases soil resistance but it can still be liquefied by aftershocks. The postcyclic recompression of silt, and postdrainage monotonic and cyclic strength and stiffness have therefore been investigated with respect to the effect of initial anisotropic consolidation. The compressibilities during postcyclic recompression were similar to those for isotropic consolidation. Samples with a greater initial anisotropy had less volumetric strain but larger axial strains during postcyclic drainage. Under stress reversal conditions failure occurred as a result of the development of double amplitude cyclic strains, whereas under nonreversal conditions compressive axial plastic strain was accumulated. Postdrainage second loading cyclic strength increased with increasing anisotropy. For isotropically consolidated samples failure under reversal cyclic loading resulted in a weaker soil structure even after postcyclic reconsolidation.     

Development of a time-resolved fluorometric detection system using diffusion-enhanced energy transfer

A novel detection system using both emission energy transfer and time-resolved fluorometry (TRF) was developed, with a europium chelate as the energy donor and a novel fluorophore SNR1, excitable with long-wavelength light corresponding to europium emission, as the energy acceptor. When the donor and acceptor molecules were mixed in solution, energy transfer was observed without direct attachment of the donor and the acceptor, via a diffusion-enhanced energy-transfer mechanism. Thus, the acceptor emission can be detected as a long-lifetime fluorescence in TRF. When the fluorescence properties of the acceptor molecule are changed by interaction with an enzyme or other bioactive molecule, the change can be detected as a long-lived sensitized emission. If we develop or select suitable acceptor molecules, this simple and convenient system should be applicable to a wide variety of bioactive molecules. Since it is based on TRF, it can be used for high-resolution assay.