Cellular mechanisms underlying carbachol-induced oscillations of calcium-dependent membrane current in smooth muscle cells from mouse anococcygeus

1. At a holding potential of -40 mV, carbachol (50 microM) produced a complex pattern of inward currents in single smooth muscle cells freshly isolated from the mouse anococcygeus. Membrane currents were monitored by the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique. Previous work has identified the first, transient component as a calcium-activated chloride current (ICl(Ca)) and the second sustained component as a store depletion-operated non-selective cation current (I(DOC)). The object of the present study was to examine the cellular mechanisms underlying the third component, a series of inward current oscillations (I(oscil)) superimposed on I(DOC). 2. Carbachol-induced I(oscil) (amplitude 97 +/- 11 pA; frequency 0.26 +/- 0.02 Hz) was inhibited by the chloride channel blocker anthracene-9-carboxylic acid (A-9-C; 1 mM), and by inclusion of 1 mM EGTA in the patch-pipette filling solution. 3. In calcium-free extracellular medium (plus 1 mM EGTA), carbachol produced an initial burst of oscillatory current which lasted 94 s before decaying to zero; I(oscil) could be restored by re-admission of calcium. The frequency, but not the amplitude, of I(oscil) increased with increasing concentrations of extracellular calcium (0.5-10 mM). 4. Inclusion of the inositol triphosphate (IP3) receptor antagonist heparin (5 mg ml(-1) in the patch-pipette filling solution, or pretreatment of cells with the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium ATPase inhibitor cyclopiazonic acid (CPA; 10 microM), prevented the activation of I(oscil) by carbachol. Caffeine (10 mM) activated both ICl(Ca) and I(DOC) and prevented the induction of I(oscil) by carbachol. Caffeine and CPA also abolished I(oscil) in the presence of carbachol, as did both a low (3 microM) and a high (30 microM) concentration of ryanodine. 5. Carbachol-induced I(oscil) was abolished by the general calcium entry blocker SKF 96365 (10 MM) and by Cd2+ (100 microM), but was unaffected by La3+ (400 microM). As found previously, I(DOC) was also blocked by SKF 96365 and Cd2+, but not La3+; the inhibition of I(DOC) preceded the abolition of I(oscil) by 27 s with SKF 96365 and by 30 s with Cd2+. Nifedipine (1 microM) produced a partial inhibition of the carbachol-induced I(oscil) frequency at holding potentials of -20 mV and -60 mV and, in addition, reduced I(DOC) at -60 mV by 18%. 6. It is concluded that carbachol-induced inward current oscillations in mouse anococcygeus cells are due to a calcium-activated chloride current, and reflect oscillatory changes in cytoplasmic calcium ion concentration. These calcium oscillations are derived primarily from the SR stores, but entry of calcium into the cell is necessary for store replenishment and maintenance of the oscillations. Capacitative calcium entry (via I(DOC) appears to be important not only for sustained contraction of this tissue, but also as a route for re-filling of the SR and, therefore, represents an important target for the development of novel and selective drugs.     

机电一体化技术在综合采煤设备中的应用与发展

介绍了机电一体化技术在国内外煤矿井下综采设备中的应用，并论述了机电一体化技术发展与相关技术的研究。     

空间桁架结构拓扑优化设计的线性规划方法

本文以杆件内力为设计变量,构造了多工况作用下空间桁架结构拓扑优化的线性规划模型,考虑了应力和位移约束,能够避免奇异最优拓扑和不稳定结构的产生。     

数据压缩的综合字典模型

文中提出一种无损的数据压缩的字典方法，被称为综合字典方法，该方法在较大程度上消除数据文件中多种形式的冗余，达到较好的压缩效果。     

基于移动Agent技术的QoS保障机制

介绍了移动Agent的基本特性。移动Agent可在异构的网络各个节点间自由地移动,它能感知网络的状态,监控系统并与其他Agent进行交互。IETF的IS模型采用了RSVP(ResourcereSerVationProtocol)协议对系统资源进行预留,从而达到一定程度上保障所需QoS的目的。QoS保障机制将移动agent技术与RSVP协议结合起来,通过资源预留和agent动态移动的实现可以达到更好地改善QoS的目的。     

Auto-analysis system for graphite morphology of grey cast iron

The current method to classify graphite morphology types of grey cast iron is based on traditional subjective observation, and it cannot be used for quantitative analysis. Since microstructures have a great effect on the mechanical properties of grey cast iron and different types have totally different characters, six types of grey cast iron are discussed and an image-processing software subsystem that performs the classification and quantitative analysis automatically based on a kind of composed feature vector and artificial neural network (ANN) is described. There are three kinds of texture features: fractal dimension, roughness and two-dimension autoregression, which are used as an extracted feature input vector of ANN classifier. Compared with using only one, the checkout correct precision increased greatly. On the other hand, to achieve the quantitative analysis and show the different types clearly, the region segmentation idea was applied to the system. The percentages of the regions with different type are reported correctly. Furthermore, this paper tentatively introduces a new empirical method to decide the number of ANN hidden nodes, which are usually considered as a difficulty in ANN structure decision. It was found that the optimum hidden node number of the experimental data was the same as that obtained using the new method.     

Assessment of underground cable ratings based on distributed temperature sensing

Numerous power utilities have installed advanced distributed temperature sensing (DTS) systems to measure the temperature of underground cables. This paper presents a general procedure for real-time assessment of underground cable ratings based on DTS. After the identification and location of hot spots on a cable, the cable installation data, load, and DTS-recorded temperature over a period of time are used to estimate soil thermal parameters and assess cable ratings under normal and overloading conditions. In order to accurately estimate soil thermal parameters, a combined technique of the finite-element method and gradient-based optimization is used. The technique was validated in the laboratory and applied to a rating assessment of a 230-kV/500-MVA cable circuit. The assessed continuous and emergency ratings are helpful in improving the operation of this circuit.     

Exploratory analysis of brain connectivity with ICA.

Covariance-based methods of exploration of functional connectivity of the brain from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and structural equation modeling (SEM), require a priori knowledge such as an anatomical model to infer functional connectivity. In this research, a hybrid method, combining independent component analysis (ICA) and SEM, which is capable of deriving functional connectivity in an exploratory manner without the need of a prior model is introduced. The spatial ICA (SICA) derives independent neural systems or sources involved in task-related brain activation, while an automated method based on the SEM finds the structure of the connectivity among the elements in independent neural systems. Unlike second-order approaches used in earlier studies, the task-related neural systems derived from the ICA provide brain connectivity in the complete statistical sense. The use and efficacy of this approach is illustrated on two fMRI datasets obtained from a visual task and a language reading task.     

炉壁集束碳氧枪在电炉中的应用

介绍了鄂钢电炉厂70t consteel 电炉使用炉壁集束碳氧枪后对经济指标的改善,以及在生产实践中的冶金效果.     

A Real-World Application of Lane-Guidance Technologies—Automated Snowblower

This paper describes the development process and the initial field test results of an automated snowblower, focusing on one of the more difficult snow removal operations: blowing snow off the freeway alongside a guardrail without the snowblower touching the guardrail. The development process includes transforming this highway winter maintenance operation into a control problem, modeling a snowblower, designing control algorithms, devising a human-machine interface, and equipping a 20-ton snowblower with sensors and an actuator. Specific challenges include modeling the low-speed tire-induced oscillation, designing high-gain automatic control on front wheels while keeping rear steering under driver control, and implementing such a system under practical limitations. A new dynamic deflection tire model is incorporated into a bicycle model to account for the additional lateral dynamics. A low-order controller was first generated based on the understanding of the specific control problem and, then, refined and tuned iteratively using linear-matrix-inequality optimization. The initial winter field tests were successfully conducted with embedded magnetic markers along the guardrails installed on the shoulders of Interstate-80 in the Sierra Mountain region close to Donner Summit, CA, during the winter of 2005.