Laboratory aid and ultrasonography in the diagnosis of appendicitis in children

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the number of yolk sacs and amnionicity in monochorionic twin pregnancies scanned early in the first trimester. We retrospectively reviewed images of all monochorionic twins scanned between 6 and 9.5 weeks' gestation and with pathologic or sonographic confirmation of chorionicity-amnionicity. Each film was reviewed for the number of yolk sacs present, as well as for the gestational age at which the amniotic membrane was first visualized. Twenty monochorionic-diamniotic pregnancies and two monochorionic-monoamniotic pregnancies met the criteria for inclusion in the study. In diamniotic pregnancies scanned at less than 8 weeks' gestation, only the yolk sacs were identified; none of the dividing amniotic membranes were detected. Two yolk sacs were identified in all but one case. In this case, although one yolk sac was seen at 6 weeks, follow-up scanning at 8 weeks revealed two yolk sacs. In each of the monochorionic-monoamniotic twin pregnancies, one yolk sac was seen at 9 weeks and a single amnion encircled both embryos. We conclude that the sonographic identification of two yolk scas in monochorionic twins enables us to make the diagnosis of diamniotic twins early in the first trimester, before the amniotic membrane can be imaged. The presence of one yolk sac should prompt a follow-up ultrasonogram to assign amnionicity definitively.     

Economics of liquid hydrogen from water electrolysis

Using the data from vendors and open literature, we have constructed a preliminary cost model to predict the cost of liquid hydrogen (LH₂) from water electrolysis. The model has been applied to two LH₂ plants. Both have a production rate of 10 886 kg day⁻¹. The first plant (Plant 1) consists of a tank-type electrolyzer and a liquefier and runs all day at the base-load (or equivalent base-load) power rate. The second (Plant 2) consists of a tank-type electrolyzer, a liquefier, a compressor, and storage vessels. The electrolyzer and the compressor shall run only during the off-peak hours at the off-peak power rate. However, the liquefier shall run all day at the base-load (or equivalent base-load) power rate. The costs of LH₂ from both plants are presented. Unless the base-load power rate is high and the off-peak power rate is substantially low, Plant 1 appears to be economically more feasible than Plant 2.     

Cloud analysis by modeling the integration of heterogeneous satellite data and imaging

This paper presents a computer-aided cloud-analysis approach by effectively modeling the integration of heterogeneous satellite-observed data and remote sensing images. First, automatic cloud detection and tracking methods are proposed to identify the georeferenced cloud objects in satellite remote sensing images. Then, a data integration modeling mechanism is designed to collect meaningful properties of those detected clouds by integrating the heterogeneous satellite-observed data and imaging into a unified cloud database. Finally, based on the integrated global data schema, a two-phase data mining method employing the decision tree algorithm is implemented to analyze and forecast the meteorological activities of all the cloud objects. Experimental results have shown that the proposed data integration model can effectively extract and synthesize all the useful information from heterogeneous data sources to generate a unified view of knowledge, on the basis of which the evolvement trends of clouds can be analyzed properly.     

An empirical formula for the prediction of rain attenuation infrequency range 0.6 - 100 GHz

An empirical formula for calculating the extinction cross section (ECS) by raindrops over a broad frequency range is first derived based on extensive calculations made on a widely varying in mean radius of modified Pruppacher and Pitter (MPP) raindrop models ranging from 0.25 to 3.5 mm. The expansion coefficients in the empirical formula are determined by least-squares curve fitting of numerical data obtained by the volume integral equation formulation (VIEF). The formula satisfies the frequency and raindrop size dependence. Numerical results obtained from the empirical formula for calculating the ECS are generally in good agreement with those calculated by the VIEF for raindrops with mean radius varying from 0.25 to 3.5 mm in the frequency range from 0.6 to 100 GHz. The average error in the ECS is less than 10%. The formula thus provides a simple and inexpensive method for calculating the ECS of raindrops, which otherwise requires complicated and expensive methods of calculation. By implementing this empirical formula of ECS into the rain attenuation equation, a new numerically empirical formula for calculating the specific rain attenuation is also proposed. The validity of the empirical formula for calculating the specific rain attenuation is also checked by comparing the obtained results of specific rain attenuation with those obtained from Li et al.'s (1995) solution, Yeo et al.'s (1993) measurement, and Olsen et al.'s (1978) power-law equation     

我国建筑涂料技术进步简评

从以下诸方面简述我国建筑涂料的技术进步:⑴新品种涂料的研制开发;⑵加强对配套材料及施工技术的研究;⑶超细填料在涂料中的应用;⑷计算机自动配色技术;⑸产品标准的修订;⑹建筑涂料的实用范围扩大。     

Hyperdynamic circulation of cirrhotic rats: role of substance P and its relationship to nitric oxide

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that excessive formation of nitric oxide (NO) is responsible for the hyperdynamic circulation observed in portal hypertension. Substance P is a neuropeptide partly cleared by the liver and causes vasodilatation through the activation of the endothelial NO pathway. However, there are no previously published data concerning the plasma level of substance P in cirrhotic rats and its relationship to NO. METHODS: Plasma concentrations of substance P and nitrate/nitrite (an index of NO production) were determined in control rats and cirrhotic rats with or without ascites using an enzyme-linked immununosorbent assay and a colorimetric assay, respectively. In addition, systemic and portal hemodynamics were evaluated by a thermodilution technique and catheterization. RESULTS: Cirrhotic rats with and without ascites had a lower systemic vascular resistance (2.6 +/- 0.2 and 3.9 +/- 0.4 mmHg ml(-1) x min x 100 g body weight, respectively) and higher portal pressure (14.6 +/- 0.6 and 11.3 +/- 1.8 mmHg) than control rats (6.5 +/- 0.3 mmHg x ml(-1) x min x 100 g BW and 6.8 +/- 0.2 mmHg, respectively, P < 0.05), and cirrhotic rats with ascites had the lowest systemic vascular resistance. Plasma levels of nitrate/nitrite progressively increased in relation to the severity of liver dysfunction (control rats, 2.7 +/- 0.5 nmol/ml; cirrhotic rats without ascites, 5.6 +/- 1.3 nmol/ml; cirrhotic rats with ascites, 8.3 +/- 2.2 nmol/ml; P < 0.05). Cirrhotic rats with ascites displayed higher plasma values of substance P (57.7 +/- 5.9 pg/ml) than cirrhotic rats without ascites (37.9 +/- 3.1 pg/ml, P < 0.05) and control rats (30.1 +/- 1.0 pg/ml, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in plasma substance P values between control rats and cirrhotic rats without ascites (P > 0.05). No correlation was found between plasma levels of substance P and nitrate/nitrite (r = 0.318, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Excessive formation of NO may be responsible, at least partly, for the hemodynamic derangements in cirrhosis. Although substance P may not participate in the initiation of a hyperdynamic circulation in cirrhosis, it may contribute to the maintenance of the hyperdynamic circulation observed in cirrhotic rats with ascites.     

Efficient design/simulation algorithms for simultaneous switching noise in leadframe packages

 Two new modeling and simulation approaches for Simultaneous Switching Noise (SSN) are described and compared to “brute force” simulation by SPICE. Both simulation accuracy and simulation run-time are considered. The two new approaches are: 1) the “effective inductance” method, in which an approximate, very efficient method of extracting an SSN L _eff  is utilized; and 2) the “macromodel” method, in which the complex inductance network responsible for SSN is represented by only a few dominant poles in the frequency domain and the time domain response is obtained by an efficient convolution algorithm. Both approaches are shown to be accurate and fast, but only the effective inductance algorithm is robust in numerical convergence. Received: 19 March 1997 / Accepted: 25 March 1997