Functional role of high-affinity anandamide transport, as revealed by selective inhibition

Anandamide, an endogenous ligand for central cannabinoid receptors, is released from neurons on depolarization and rapidly inactivated. Anandamide inactivation is not completely understood, but it may occur by transport into cells or by enzymatic hydrolysis. The compound N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)arachidonylamide (AM404) was shown to inhibit high-affinity anandamide accumulation in rat neurons and astrocytes in vitro, an indication that this accumulation resulted from carrier-mediated transport. Although AM404 did not activate cannabinoid receptors or inhibit anandamide hydrolysis, it enhanced receptor-mediated anandamide responses in vitro and in vivo. The data indicate that carrier-mediated transport may be essential for termination of the biological effects of anandamide, and may represent a potential drug target.     

Coplanar waveguide-fed uniplanar bow-tie antenna

The design of coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed bow-tie antenna for the 2.4-GHz ISM band is described. A coplanar waveguide-to-coplanar strips (CPW-to-CPS) balun is used to obtain the balanced feed line for the printed bow-tie. An analysis method based on the mixed potential integral equation method is used to characterize the input characteristics of the bow-tie antenna. The numerical results obtained are in good agreement with the experimental data. Through experiments with bow-tie antennas of various extended angles, the bow-tie antenna with a 90° extended angle exhibits the widest bandwidth in the desired frequency band which has a bandwidth of 17% for a VSWR <1.5:1     

Color image retrieval based on hidden Markov models

In this correspondence, a new approach to retrieving images from a color image database is proposed. Each image in the database is represented by a two-dimensional pseudo-hidden Markov model (2-D PHMM), which characterizes the chromatic and spatial information about the image. In addition, a flexible pictorial querying method is used, by which users can paint the rough content of the desired images in a query picture. Image matching is achieved by comparing the query picture with each 2-D PHMM in the database. Experimental results show that the proposed approach is indeed effective.     

Handling multimedia information with VLSI

Identifies the basic technological components of multimedia communications. Among these technologies, multimedia processing and transmission already benefit heavily from VLSI advances. in fact, these two technologies could not have matured without special-purpose VLSI chips. We have examined basic processing required in these technologies and some VLSI architectures. The focus has been on standard-compliant VLSI chips, because the eventual goal of communications is to allow everyone to reach others without constraints. There are still a number of evolving standards, which means that we might witness yet another wave of VLSI chips for multimedia communications     

L－B膜修饰电极循环伏安行为模拟──（Ⅰ）电荷转移速度常数对循环伏安性能的影响

本文用计算机数字模拟方法研究了电活性分子多层Ｚ型Ｌ－Ｂ膜修饰电极的循环伏安行为。计算了电极与修饰Ｌ－Ｂ膜分子第一层之间的电荷转移速度常数Ｋ_ｏ，Ｌ－Ｂ膜分子层间的电荷转移速度常数ｋ_ｉ；对峰电位差△Ｅ_ｐ及阳极峰面积Ｑ的影响，以及在不同条件下各层分子的氧化态分数随扫描时间的变化。为研究和设计电活性分子修饰电极的实际体系提供了大量数据和信息。     

一个面向CAD／CAM的演绎数据库管理系统

演绎数据库管理系统ＤＥＤＢＭＳ是工程数据库管理系统ＥＤＢＭＳ／２中的一个子系统。本文着重介绍其产生式语言用户界面、工作流程及功能特点。ＤＥＤＢＭＳ系统的开发，使ＥＤＢＭＳ／２不仅具有工程数据据管理功能，而且具有数据演绎和知识处理能力，从而成为ＣＡＤ／ＣＡＭ系统集成化和智能化的有力支撑工具。     

新型实用布线算法──L─M算法

本文提出新型布线算法，集李氏迷宫法与线搜索法的长处为一体，以饱和带法进行动态排序，以线搜索法确定借孔位置，然后用李氏法进行单层布线，获得最佳路径，从而达到线型好，布通率高的效果。     

编译错误的一种处理策略

本文提出了一种独特的编译错误处理方法，其特点是将错误信息组成一个独立的文件。     

CAD-oriented formulas for the quasi-tem parameters of shielded and semi-enclosed (coupled) coplanar waveguides

On the magnetic-wall approximation for their slots, shielded coplanar waveguides (SCPWs) and semienclosed CPWs (SECPWs) are analyzed through an intensive use of elliptic function transformation. CAD-oriented formulas for the quasi-TEM parameters of SCPWs and SECPWs, including their coupled versions, are derived. The comparison of the results calculated here with previous ones show 2% accuracy for formulas in the practical situation where the slots are not too wide, e.g., s / (s + 2w) ≥ 0.2 for an SCPW. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cell density-dependent DNA fragmentation and its suppression by heparin in primary culture of adult rat hepatocytes

We show here that the internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, which is a biochemical hallmark of apoptosis, was induced in a cell density-dependent manner in primary culture of adult rat hepatocytes. This DNA fragmentation could be suppressed by a gene expression inhibitor, indicating the active nature of this process. Moreover, the viability changes in high and low cell density cultures showed a tendency corresponding with the incidence of the DNA fragmentation in them. These results suggest that in hepatocytes there may be a cell density-dependent apoptosis mechanism. In this report, we also show that heparin could suppress this DNA fragmentation with high specificity, and the cell death to some extent.