A CAD-suitable approach for the analysis of nonuniform MMIC andMHMIC transmission lines

A new method of moment-based formulation for the solution of the telegraphist's equations in nonuniform transmission lines is presented. Entire domain basis functions that build in a frequency variation are used to cover wider frequency and physical dimension ranges. The results obtained using the proposed formulation are validated by comparison to those obtained by a CAD package and to measured data. Different nonuniform lines in microstrip and coplanar technologies on monolithic microwave/millimeter wave integrated circuit (MMIC) and miniaturized hybrid microwave integrated circuit (MHMIC) substrates are investigated with an application to the design a matched taper transition in a MMIC coplanar line     

The effects of pulmonary rehabilitation combined with inspiratory muscle training on pulmonary function and inspiratory muscle strength in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

It has been suggested that pulmonary rehabilitation compined with inspiratory muscle training (IMT) might improve pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To test this hypothesis, inspiratory muscle strength (PImax), expiratory muscle strength (PEmax) and resting pulmonary function were measured in 13 elderly patients with COPD (aged 70.3 +/- 2.7 years). Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) was performed for 15 min twice a day, using a pressure threshold device, for a total of 12 weeks. The inspiratory threshold was set at 15% of maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) for each individual. Pulmonary rehabilitation was performed for 12-h sessions over a 12-week period. Patients with COPD were assigned randomly to two groups: pulmonary rehabilitation combined with IMT (group A) (n = 7), and conventional pulmonary rehabilitation only (group B) (n = 6). Functional residual capacity (FRC) decreased significantly from 4.3 +/- 0.4 L at baseline to 3.9 +/- 0.4 L after rehabilitation (p < 0.01), Vp significantly increased from 4.6 +/- 0.8 L/sec at baseline to 5.1 +/- 0.7 L/sec after rehabilitation (p < 0.05) and the PImax increased significantly from 51.5 +/- 5.4 cmH2O at baseline to 80.9 +/- 7.0 cmH2O after rehabilitation (p < 0.02) in group A. However, these variables did not change in group B. There was no improvement in the 10-minutes walking distance of group A, but there was a significant increase in that of group B. It can be concluded that pulmonary rehabilitation combined with IMT improves pulmonary function and inspiratory muscle strength in elderly patients with COPD.     

Induction of platelet-activating factor in mice by intravenous administration of a neutral fraction of bakers' yeast mannan

A neutral subfraction of mannan of bakers' yeast (WNM) was found to show a lethal effect in mice when administered intravenously. Symptoms caused by intravenous (i.v.) administration of WNM resembled those resulting from the administration of platelet-activating factor (PAF). CV-3988 and ONO-6240, selective PAF antagonists, prevented hypotension and death caused by the administration of WNM or PAF. A β-adrenoceptor agonist was shown to prevent death caused by WNM, whereas propranolol increased the lethal activity of WNM. Intravenous administration of WNM into mice produced PAF in gall bladder fluid which was determined by platelet aggregation assay. The findings indicate that WNM is able to induce PAF in mice and that the resultant PAF may participate in the WNM-induced lethal activity observed in mice.     

Sensorless Vector Control of Parallel-Connected Multiple Induction Motors Fed by a Single Inverter

KoukiMatsuse:Sensorlessvectorcontrolofparallel connectedmultipleinductionmotorsFedbyasingleinverter　　　InEq.(12) Φerand iesaredividedintode qeaxiscomponent,thenEq.(12)isexpressedby: T′=p M′{ ieqsedr- iedseqr Δ ieqsΔeqr-Δ iedsΔeqr}(17)     

Bending fracture rule for 3D-printed curved continuous-fiber composite

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an attractive technology to produce complex structures without the need for expensive tools and molds. Additives are usually incorporated with the plastic materials used in 3D printing to increase their strength and rigidity. In particular, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) shows promise as a material for use in 3D printing. However, the strength of CFRP after printing is still unclear, although it is known that its strength is affected by the plastic melting during printing. In this study, we analyzed the fracture behavior of CFRP specimens before and after bending to different curvature radii. From the experimental results, a fracture criterion that described the behavior of the materials by considering tensile and compressive loads was developed. The fracture mechanism was the same for CFRP specimens with different curvature radii. These results increase our understanding of the mechanical properties of CFRP materials used in 3D printing.     

Fast and low complexity frequency domain analysis of nonuniform substrate integrated waveguide‐based structures

A novel, low complexity approach for the analysis of nonuniform lossy substrate‐integrated waveguide transmission lines based on the method of moments is proposed. The approach uses frequency‐dependent basis functions derived from the structure's propagation characteristics. Two tapered structures are analyzed, fabricated, and measured to validate the proposed approach. The analytical results of the proposed approach for both structures are compared to those obtained by measurement and by three‐dimensional field simulation. Excellent agreement is observed between the three sets of results with simulation time savings on more than 98% and memory requirement reduction of more than 97%.     

GFP expression by intracellular gene delivery of GFP-coding fragments using nanocrystal quantum dots

Gene therapy is an attractive approach to supplement a deficient gene function. Although there has been some success with specific gene delivery using various methods including viral vectors and liposomes, most of these methods have a limited efficiency or also carry a risk for oncogenesis. We herein report that quantum dots (QDs) conjugated with nuclear localizing signal peptides (NLSP) successfully introduced gene-fragments with promoter elements, which promoted the expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene in mammalian cells. The expression of eGFP protein was observed when the QD/gene-construct was added to the culture media. The gene-expression efficiency varied depending on multiple factors around QDs, such as (1) the reading direction of the gene-fragments, (2) the quantity of gene-fragments attached on the surface of the QD-constructs, (3) the surface electronic charges varied according to the structure of the QD/gene-constructs, and (4) the particle size of QD/gene complex varied according to the structure and amounts of gene-fragments. Using this QD/gene-construct system, eGFP protein could be detected 28 days after the gene-introduction whereas the fluorescence of QDs had disappeared. This system therefore provides another method for the intracellular delivery of gene-fragments without using either viral vectors or specific liposomes.