Practicable building frame analysis

The analysis of building frames is carried out using a two-stage finite element process, which considers a full three-dimensional model of the structure, including lateral and vertical loadings. Although the analysis process requires somewhat more data preparation than current design office methods, it does involve techniques which are considerably less expensive than full finite element analysis both in terms of CPU costs and data preparation, and it is amenable to fairly routine procedures which could be made automatic. The advantage is a rational analysis, which can take care of sidesway analysis in a realistic way, and can handle such complexities as holes for stairways, and offset columns. Dynamic analysis and stability analysis are also practicable extensions, since the displacement equations which must be solved are formulated for the model with reduced degrees of freedom, in a manner similar to the familiar substructure approach in matrix analysis. The authors also report an extension to the analysis in progress. The results of an analysis of a 10-storey building frame are presented and compared to earlier studies.     

Dielectric investigation on poly(methylmethacrylate) films doped with p-nitroaniline

The dielectric behaviour of solution-grown thin films of poly(methylmethacrylate) containing p-nitroaniline (p-NA) as a dopant was investigated within the temperature range 60–90°C and a 20–10⁵ Hz frequency band. It is shown that these mixtures exhibit only one relaxation process similar to that of pure PMMA. However, the addition of p-NA increases both the height and the relaxation strength of the peaks and also shifts log f_m to higher frequencies. The additive causes narrowing of the loss curves and increases the activation energy for relaxation. These results are interpreted in terms of the hydrogen bonding effects of p-NA on localized motions of carboxymethyl dipoles in PMMA. An insight into the possible origins of the β- and α-relaxations in PMMA is also presented.     

On the electrochemical behaviour of the anodic oxide film on tungsten in HCOOH and CH3COOH solutions

The electrochemical behaviour of the anodic oxide film on tungsten during, or after, interruption of current flow was studied in HCOOH and CH₃COOH solutions by galvanostatic and capacitance techniques. The results show the conditions under which enhancement of film growth occurs as revealed from its formation and dissolution characteristics. The results also show the possibility of the electrochemical oxidation of formic acid by the thick oxide film on tungsten. The importance of this electrocatalytic process is the occurrence of the oxidation process without appreciable oxygen evolution. The galvanostatic oxidation of tungsten in HCOOH as a reducing agent can be considered as a novel method for the preparation of a class of oxides; oxidation with simultaneous partial reduction.     

Inverse modeling and its application in the design of high electronmobility transistors

An inverse modeling technique is introduced to determine the structural and physical parameters of HEMT from the desired data for maximum transconductance. The technique is based on the availability of analytical expressions describing the electron carrier concentration, the current, the transconductance, the capacitances and the unity current gain frequency of a HEMT. Empirical formulae are obtained that relate the maximum transconductance to the doped AlGaAs thickness, spacer layer thickness, dopant density and aluminum mole fraction. The technique is applied to the design of a HEMT and shows good agreement with the experimental data     

Needle track seeding following percutaneous ethanol injection for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

We report two cases of needle track seeding in the subcutaneous tissue and intercostal muscles following percutaneous ethanol injection for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. In one patient, tumor seeding was observed 11 months after a total of 12 alcohol injections, and in the other patient, tumor seeding was observed 30 months after a total of 18 alcohol injections. The cases reported in the literature are discussed.     

Kininogen-derived fluorogenic substrates for investigating the vasoactive properties of rat tissue kallikreins--identification of a T-kinin-releasing rat kallikrein

Peptide substrates with intramolecularly quenched fluorescence that reproduce the rat kininogen sequences at both ends of the bradykinin moiety were synthesized and used to investigate the kinin-releasing properties of five rat tissue kallikreins (rK1, rK2, rK7, rK9, rK10). Substrates derived from rat H- and L-kininogen were cleaved best by rK1, especially that including the N-terminal insertion site of bradykinin, Abz-TSVIRRPQ-EDDnp(Abz = O-aminobenzoyl, EDDnp = ethylenediamine 2,4-dinitrophenyl), which was cleaved at the R-R bond with a k(cat)/Km of 12400 mM(-1) s(-1). Replacement of the P2' residue Pro by Val in Abz-TSVIRRPQ-EDDnp gave a far less specific substrate that was rapidly hydrolysed by all five rat kallikreins and human kallikrein hK1. Peptidyl-N-methyl coumarylamide substrates, which lack prime residues, also had low specificities. The importance of the P2' residue for rK1 specificity was further demonstrated using a human-kininogen-derived substrate that included the N-terminal insertion site of bradykinin (Abz-LMKRP-EDDnp). This was cleaved at the M-K bond by hK1 (kallidin-releasing site), but at the K-R bond (bradykinin-releasing site) by rK1. Competition experiments with Abz-TSVIRRPQ-EDDnp, which is resistant to most kallikreins, and Abz-TSVIRRVQ-EDDnp, a general kallikrein substrate, demonstrated that the former competitively inhibited hydrolysis by rK9 and hK1, with Ki values similar to the Km values for the substrate. Thus Pro in P2' does not prevent the peptide binding to the enzyme active site, but impairs cleavage of the scissile bond. The T-kininogen-derived substrate with the T-kinin C-terminal sequence (Abz-FRLVR-EDDnp) was cleaved by rK10 (k(cat)/Km = 2310 mM(-1) s(-1)) and less rapidly by rK1, rK7 and hK1, at the R-L bond, while that corresponding to the N-terminal (Abz-ALDMMISRP-EDDnp) of T-kinin was resistant to all five kallikreins used, suggesting that none has T-kininogenase activity. But this substrate was hydrolysed by a semipurified sample of submandibular gland extract. Another kallikrein, identified as kallikrein rK3, was isolated from this fraction and shown to hydrolyze Abz-ALDMMISRP-EDDnp; rK3 also specifically released T-kinin from purified T1/T2-kininogen after HPLC fractionation. Injection of purified rK3 and of Abz-ALDMMISRP-EDDnp-cleaving fractions into the circulation of anesthesized rats caused transient falls in blood pressure, as did purified rK1 but none of the other purified rat or human kallikreins. This effect occurred via activation of the kinin system since it was blocked by Hoe140, a kinin receptor antagonist.     

Capacitance and conductance of ZnxCd1-xS/ZnTeheterojunctions

Capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage characteristics of RF-sputtered ZnCdS films on ZnTe single crystals are studied as a function of frequency up to 1 MHz. It is found that the measured capacitance decreases with frequency while the conductance increases. A physical circuit model of the junction is proposed to explain this dependence. A relationship relating the junction capacitance to the polycrystalline film properties and the built-in voltage of the junction is derived. It shows that the junction capacitance is related to the average carrier concentration rather than the doping concentration of the polycrystalline material. From a C^-2 versus V plot an average carrier concentration in the films which is in good agreement with that obtained by Hall measurement is obtained. The lower average electron concentration in the ZnCdS film near the substrate is due to either interdiffusion of Cd from the film into substrate or due to higher density of grain boundary states in the starting deposition portion of the film     

Dynamic bandwidth allocation on a slotted ring with integratedservices

The authors discuss what they consider the fundamental issue of bandwidth allocation on an integrated local area network. An approach is introduced for dynamic bandwidth allocation which is based on traffic prediction concepts. It is especially well suited for real-time services such as video and voice. Using a control model two allocation schemes are proposed: the first is based on an analytical model of the traffic flow; the second is a simpler version that can be easily implemented on very high-speed systems. The results of simulation studies indicate a marked improvement in performance. The presented approach is especially effective when used in systems with large transmission path latencies as the network performance does not deteriorate with increasing latency. This is very useful if the network is to be used as a metropolitan area network     

Reaction of the cardio-respiratory-system following acetylcholine inhalation and the dependency from the body position on anaesthetised dogs (author's transl)

The bronchomotoric reaction following ACH-aerosol in low concentrations is dependend on the position of the body on dogs. Up till one maximal reaction the increase of the airway resistance is always stronger in the lateral position. Nevertheless the breathing minute volume is constant. Concentration reaction curves will be shown. Arterial blood gases, heart rate, and pressure in the arteria femoralis were also measured. The different strongness of the reaction following ACH-inhalation will be caused by the predominantely unilateral ventilation of the animals in the lateral position.