Design of saturistor for control of induction motor during starting

An interesting characteristic of a saturistor and a simple method of its design for low current starting of induction motor have been described.     

Enhanced specificity of truncated transmembrane protein for serologic confirmation of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2 infections by western blot (immunoblot) assay containing recombinant envelope glycoproteins

Immunoassays based on the highly immunogenic transmembrane protein of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) (protein 21c) are capable of detecting antibodies in all individuals infected with HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. However, because of antigenic mimicry with other cellular and viral proteins, such assays also have a large proportion of false-positive reactions. We have recently identified an immunodominant epitope, designated GD21-I located within amino acids 361 to 404 of the transmembrane protein, that appears to eliminate such false positivity. This recombinant GD21-I protein was used in conjunction with additional recombinant HTLV type-specific proteins and a whole virus lysate to develop a modified Western blot (immunoblot) assay (HTLV WB 2.4). The sensitivity and specificity of this assay were evaluated with 352 specimens whose infection status was determined by PCR assay for the presence or absence of HTLV-1/2 proviral sequences. All HTLV-1-positive (n = 102) and HTLV-2-positive (n = 107) specimens reacted with GD21-1 in the HTLV WB 2.4 assay, yielding a test sensitivity of 100%. Furthermore, all specimens derived from individuals infected with different viral subtypes of HTLV-1 (Cosmopolitan, Japanese, and Melanesian) and HTLV-2 (IIa0, a3, a4, IIb1, b4, and b5) reacted with GD21-I in the HTLV WB 2.4 assay. More importantly, HTLV WB 2.4 analysis of 81 PCR-negative specimens, all of which reacted to recombinant protein 21e in the presence or absence of p24 and p19 reactivity in the standard WB assay, showed that only two specimens retained reactivity to GD21-I, yielding an improved test specificity for the transmembrane protein of 97.5%. None of 41 specimens with gag reactivity only or 21 HTLV-negative specimens demonstrated reactivity to GD21-I. In an analysis of additional specimens (n = 169) from different geographic areas for which PCR results were not available, a substantial increase in the specificity of GD21-I detection was demonstrated, with no effect on the sensitivity of GD21-I detection among specimens from seropositive donors. Thus, the highly sensitive, GD21-I-based HTLV WB 2.4 assay eliminates the majority of false-positive transmembrane results, thereby increasing the specificity for serologic confirmation of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections.     

Acute coronary occlusion during early post-PTCA exercise testing: a rare but avoidable risk

We describe here one instance of an acute occlusion of an angioplastied LAD coronary artery occurring during a treadmill stress test performed 2 d after the procedure. The occlusion occurred during the recovery period after a reasonably high level of stress was achieved without evidence of ischaemia. Similar instances described in the literature are summarized and discussed. In the light of these data, it might be prudent to avoid early post-PTCA exercise stress testing.     

THE INFLUENCE OF STRENGTH AND STRESS RATIO ON SHORT-CRACK THRESHOLDS AND NON-PROPAGATING FATIGUE CRACKS

Quantitative predictions of the influence of yield strength and stress ratio, R , on the physically small crack fatigue threshold stress intensity, Δ K _0(s), are presented. It is shown that at R = 0 to -1, although the threshold stress Δ₀ increases, the threshold stress intensity, Δ K _0(s), decreases with increasing yield strength. Moreover, a lower bound value, Δ K _0(s)(min) is shown to have a constant value, irrespective of the strength and stress ratio. For a given strength, Δ K _0(s), decreases with increasing R in the range -1 R 0.6 and attains a constant low value for R > 0.6. Predicted values of Δ K _0(s) are in good agreement with experimental data for steels. The formation and length of non-propagating fatigue cracks, a _np, are also discussed. The methods suggested for estimating Δ K _0(s) and a _np may be found useful in design procedures.     

Antibody responses measured by various serologic tests in pigs orally inoculated with low numbers of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts

OBJECTIVE: To follow antibody responses measured by various serologic tests in pigs orally inoculated with low (< or = 10 oocysts) numbers of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. ANIMALS: 24, 2- to 3-month-old pigs. PROCEDURE: Pigs (n = 42) were inoculated orally with 10 (14 pigs) or 1 (28 pigs) infective oocysts, and 6 pigs served as uninoculated controls. Blood (serum) samples were obtained at 1- to 3-week intervals until euthanasia. At necropsy, the brain, heart, and tongue of pigs were bioassayed in mice and cats for isolation of T gondii. Modified agglutination test (MAT), using whole, fixed tachyzoites and mercaptoethanol; latex agglutination test (LAT); indirect hemagglutination test (IHAT); Sabin-Feldman dye test (DT); and ELISA were used to evaluate serologic responses to T gondii. RESULTS: T gondii was isolated from tissues of 13 of 14 pigs each fed 10 oocysts, 17 of 28 pigs each fed 1 oocyst, and 0 of 6 control pigs. 29 of 30 T gondii-infected pigs developed antibodies when measured by MAT, DT, and ELISA; the 1 seronegative-infected pig had been fed 10 oocysts and was euthanatized 69 days after inoculation. LAT detected antibodies in 26 of 30 T gondii-infected pigs. IHAT detected antibodies in 11 T gondii-infected pigs. CONCLUSION: MAT, DT, and ELISA were more sensitive serologic assays than LAT and IHAT for detecting antibodies induced by low numbers of T gondii in pigs.     

Necessary and sufficient number of parity checks in codes correcting random errors and bursts with weight constraints under a new metric

A new metric, called the class metric, has already been introduced by Sharma and Kaushik. In this paper, we obtain extensions of Hamming sphere packing and Varsharmov-Gilbert-Sacks bounds to codes correcting random errors and bursts with weight constraints under the class metric.     

Cedrus oil—A promising storage fungitoxicant

Seeds of two spices Coriandrum sativum and Foeniculum vulgare, were dressed separately with essential oil of Cedrus deodara as well as with five synthetic fungicides viz., phenylmercury acetate, 2-methoxyethyl mercury chloride, copper oxychloride, mancozeb and wettable sulphur. Treated seeds were stored in polythene bags for 12 months. On mycofloral analysis, the oil had checked the appearance of ten fungi, Absidia sp., Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. ruber, A. versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Curvularia lunata, and Paecilomyces variotii on the seeds of C. sativum, and seven fungi, Absidia sp., A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. ruber, A. versicolor, and Rhizopus spp., on the seeds of F. vulgare. The oil proved to be more effective than the synthetic fungicides. Further, the oil did not show any adverse effect on seed germination and seedling growth of both spices.     

Fabrication of PZT-polymer composite materials having 3-3 connectivity for hydrophone applications

Lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PZT) powder and volatilisable polymethylmethacrylate (PMM) polymer particles have been used for fabrication of porous sintered ceramics of interconnected porosity varying from 25% to 59%. Sintered ceramics are converted into piezoelectric PZT-polymer composites by incorporating silicone rubber elastomer followed by electroding and poling. Influence of the variation of PZT-PMM ratio and sintering temperatures on the open and closed porosity of the sintered ceramics as well as volume fraction PZT in the composites has been studied and correlated for the optimization of piezoelectric properties. The PZT-polymer composites possess low density, considerably high piezoelectric voltage coefficient and considerably lower ageing characteristics and are therefore considered suitable for designing highly sensitive hydrophone systems.