Empirical analysis of gross vehicle weight and free flow speed and consideration on its relation with differential speed limit

Most highly motorized countries in the world have implemented different speed limits for light weight and heavy weight vehicles. The heavy vehicle speed limit is usually chosen to be lower than that of passenger cars due to the difficulty for the drivers to safely maneuver the heavy vehicle at high speed and greater impact during a crash.However, in many cases, the speed limit for heavy vehicle is set by only considering the vehicle size or category, mostly due to simplicity in enforcement. In this study, traffic and vehicular data for all vehicle types were collected using a weigh-in-motion system installed at Federal Route 54 in Malaysia. The first finding from the data showed that the weight variation for each vehicle category is considerable. Therefore, the effect of gross vehicle weight (GVW) and category of heavy vehicle on free flow speed and their interaction were analyzed using statistical techniques.Empirical analysis results showed that statistically for each type of heavy vehicle, there was a significant relationship between free flow speed of a heavy vehicle and GVW. Specifically, the results suggest that the mean and variance of free flow speed decrease with an increase GVW by the amount unrelated to size and shape for all GVW range. Then, based on the 85th percentile principle, the study proposed a new concept for setting the speed limit for heavy vehicle by incorporating GVW where a different speed limit is imposed to the heavy vehicle, not only based on vehicle classification, but also according to its GVW.     

Nedaplatin and 5-FU combined with radiation in the treatment for esophageal cancer

A direct differentiation of the internal and external drug-deposition pattern into hair was made using two fluorescent dyes and fluorescence microscopy after systemic administration to mice or external exposure of untreated hair. Mice (23 days old, C57 and Balb/C) were administered either rhodamine or fluorescein intraperitoneally at varied doses on 3 consecutive days of 3 weeks, and hair was sampled 1 week later. Another group was given 10 mg/kg rhodamine or 100 mg/kg fluorescein and sampled at time points from 5 min to 168 hr. The time courses of external deposition of rhodamine and fluorescein into untreated hair were examined after hair was soaked in 0.1 mg/ml solutions at pH 3, pH 6, and pH 9 aqueous buffer or methanol. The hair was then extracted in pH 6 phosphate buffer or methanol for 24 hr. In vivo accumulation was distinguishable as fluorescent bands along the length of the hair for rhodamine and fluorescein. The pattern of in vivo deposition appears to arise from the rapid accumulation within the cortex and medulla, with little deposition evident in the cuticle. Neither phosphate buffer nor methanol washes affected the intensity of fluorescence in the hair. External loading of rhodamine into the hair resulted in staining of the junctions of cuticle scales. This pattern persisted even after 12 hr of solution exposure. Extraction with pH 6 phosphate buffer or methanol did not remove rhodamine. Fluoroscein followed a similar pattern, with maximum fluorescence when hair was loaded in pH 6 100mM phosphate buffer and nominal staining when loaded in pH 9 100 mM Tris buffer or methanol. Soaking the hair in pH 6 buffer, but not methanol, removed some fluorescein. These results demonstrate that compounds in the circulation can rapidly diffuse into the forming cortex and medulla, where rapid associations occur with elongating intermediate filaments specific to the medulla and cortex. These compounds can become significantly occluded within the mature matrix and are resistant to removal in aqueous or methanolic solutions.     

NO and cGMP facilitate adenosine production in rat hearts via activation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase

We examined whether nitric oxide (NO), a possible cardioprotective substance, can increase the production of interstitial adenosine in the ventricular myocardium. A flexibly mounted microdialysis technique was used to measure the concentration of interstitial adenosine and to assess the activity of ecto-5'-nucleotidase in in vivo rat hearts. The microdialysis probe was implanted in the left ventricular myocardium of anesthetized rats and perfused with Tyrode solution containing adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) at a rate of 1.0 microl min-1. The concentration of adenosine in the effluent (dialysate) was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Dialysate adenosine obtained during perfusion with the AMP-containing solution through the probe originated from the hydrolysis of AMP by endogenous ecto-5'-nucleotidase, and the level of adenosine reflected the activity of ecto-5'-nucleotidase in the tissue. S-Nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP, 0.3-3 mM), an NO donor, increased the dialysate adenosine measured in the presence of AMP (100 microM) in a concentration-dependent manner. However, in the presence of an NO-oxidizing agent, 2-(4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5, 5-tetramethylimidazoline)-1-oxyl 3-oxide (carboxy-PTIO, 1 mM), the effect of SNAP was abolished. Another NO donor, (+/-)-(E)-4-ethyl-2-[(E)-hydroxyimino]-5-nitro-3-hexenamide (FK409, 1 mM) also increased adenosine production. 8-Bromo-cGMP (0.1-3 mM), a membrane-permeable cGMP analogue and a potent activator of cGMP-dependent protein kinase, increased the level of AMP-primed dialysate adenosine in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that NO facilitates the production of interstitial adenosine in rat hearts in situ, via cGMP-mediated activation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase.     

Chronic pancreatitis is associated with increased concentrations of epidermal growth factor receptor, transforming growth factor alpha, and phospholipase C gamma

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor is a transmembrane protein that binds EGF and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha), and that stimulates phospholipase C gamma 1 (PLC gamma 1) activity. In this study the role of the EGF receptor in chronic pancreatitis was studied. By immunohistochemistry, the EGF receptor, TGF alpha, and PLC gamma 1 were found to be expressed at high concentrations in pancreatic ductal and acinar cells from chronic pancreatitis patients. Northern blot analysis showed that, by comparison with normal controls, 19 of 27 chronic pancreatitis tissues exhibited a 5.7-fold increase in EGF receptor mRNA concentrations, and 20 of 27 chronic pancreatitis tissues exhibited a sixfold increase in TGF alpha mRNA concentrations. In situ hybridisation confirmed that overexpression occurred in ductal and acinar cells, and showed that both mRNA moieties colocalised with their respective proteins. These findings suggest that TGF alpha may act through autocrine and paracrine mechanisms to excessively activate the overexpressed EGF receptor in the two major cell types of the exocrine pancreas, thereby contributing to the pathobiology of this disorder.     

Dissolution and Separation of Ruthenium in Borosilicate Glass

The behavior of ruthenium oxide (RuO₂) in aluminoborosilicate glass used for the stabilization of nuclear waste was investigated. It was found that 0.025 mass% RuO₂ dissolved as Ru⁴⁺ in the glass at 1400°C, which caused the glass to turn yellow. When the RuO₂ amount was 0.05 mass%, needle-shaped crystals formed in the glass during slow cooling. If the added amount exceeded 0.1 mass% and the cooling rate was slow, it separated rapidly and the glass became pale after cooling. No dissolution of ruthenium was detectable after melting at 1200°C.     

A 16-Mb CMOS SRAM with a 2.3-μm2 single-bit-linememory cell

A novel architecture that enables fast write/read in poly-PMOS load or high-resistance polyload single-bit-line cells is developed. The architecture for write uses alternate twin word activation (ATWA) with bit-line pulsing. A dummy cell is used to obtain a reference voltage for reading. An excellent balance between a normal cell signal line and a dummy cell signal line is attained using balanced common data-line architecture. A newly developed self-bias-control (SBC) sense amplifier provides excellent stability and fast sensing performance for input voltages close to V_CC at a low power supply of 2.5 V. The single-bit-line architecture is incorporated in a 16-Mb SRAM, which was fabricated using 0.25-μm CMOS technology. The proposed single-bit-line architecture reduces the cell area to 2.3-μm² , which is two-thirds of a conventional two-bit-line cell with the same processes. The 16-Mb SRAM, a test chip for a 64-Mb SRAM, shows a 15-ns address access time and a 20-ns cycle time     

Clinical features and treatment of sarcoidosis involving the central nervous system

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment modalities of three cases with neurosarcoidosis, which involved the central nervous system (CNS). CASES: Three men with neurosarcoidosis, aged 27, 29 and 60 years, are presented. Two of them had previously been given a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. The clinical symptoms of these cases included diabetes insipidus, pituitary dysfunction, seizure, mental disorder, visual field disturbance and pyramidal tract signs. In these cases, CT scan and MRI showed the presence of a tumor near the pituitary gland, diffuse nodules in the subarachnoid space or meningoencephalitis associated with angitis. The level of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) in the sera and in the cerebrospinal fluid, were elevated in the two cases who had no brain biopsy. All three cases were treated with steroids; two of them received pulse steroid therapy. RESULTS: The two cases who received pulse steroid therapy responded quickly, with improvement in clinical features, serum ACE levels and neuroradiological findings. Under oral administration of steroids, all three cases recovered with complete remission of neurosarcoidosis except for endocrinological symptoms. DISCUSSION: The main pathological changes of neurosarcoidosis are granulomatous angitis of the venular walls and occasionally, of the capillaries near the meninx and Virchow-Robin space. The patients also had symptoms of secondary meningoencephalitis. These changes were mainly located in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The patients had complex symptoms resulting from endocrine system granuloma, as well as from cerebral ischemia. The severity of the disease and effectiveness of treatment, can be evaluated by measuring ACE levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (over 1. 0 IU/l), and by Gd-enhanced MRI. Early pulse steroid therapy with subsequent oral steroid administration is thought to be important for neurosarcoidosis treatment, in order to prevent irreversible damage in the CNS.     

Increased serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels and intrathyroidal vascular area in patients with Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the angiogenic factors. We examined both thyroid volume and intrathyroidal vascular area by color flow Doppler ultrasonography in patients with Graves' disease (GD), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), and subacute thyroiditis. The serum concentrations of thyroid hormones, TSH, TSH receptor antibodies, and VEGF were also examined. There was a significant increase in serum VEGF levels in patients with untreated GD and goitrous HT compared with those in healthy subjects. The serum VEGF levels in untreated patients with subacute thyroiditis were significantly higher than those in patients with untreated GD or HT. There was a significant correlation between serum VEGF levels and the ratio of intrathyroidal vascular area and thyroid area in untreated patients with GD who had a goiter larger than or equal to 40 cm3. There was also a significant correlation between serum VEGF and TSH levels in patients with HT who were hypothyroid and had a goiter. Serum VEGF levels decreased significantly in these patients after treatment; this was accompanied by a significant decrease in intrathyroidal vascular area and thyroid volume. Our study demonstrates that VEGF appears to play an important role in intrathyroidal angiogenesis in patients with GD and goitrous HT.     

Tandem-crosspoint ATM switch with input and output buffers

This letter proposes a high-speed input and output buffering asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch, named the tandem-crosspoint (TDXP) switch, The TDXP switch consists of multiple crossbar switch planes, which are connected in tandem at every crosspoint. The TDXP switch does not increase the internal line speed in eliminating head-of-line (HOL) blocking. In addition, since the TDXP switch employs a simple cell reading algorithm at the input buffer in order to retain the cell sequence, the TDXP switch does not require the cell sequences to be rebuilt at output buffers using time stamps, as is required by a parallel switch. It is shown that the TDXP switch can eliminate the HOL blocking effectively and achieve high throughput