Effects of beta-carotene and other factors on outcome of cervical dysplasia and human papillomavirus infection

OBJECTIVES: The age-dependence of the development of ventricular arrhythmias was studied in German shepherd dogs with inherited ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. BACKGROUND: A colony of German shepherd dogs has been established that exhibit inherited ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. The incidence of arrhythmias increases with age. Because ventricular tachycardia is associated with bradycardia, it was hypothesized that the increased incidence of arrhythmias was related to age-dependent slowing of heart rate. METHODS: Arrhythmia counts and RR intervals were measured from serial ambulatory ECG recordings obtained in 71 dogs (1-48 weeks). In addition, 19 dogs were challenged with phenylephrine (10 micrograms/kg i.v.) at 15, 28, and 45 weeks of age, 10 dogs were challenged with epinephrine (1 microgram/kg i.v.) at 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 18, and 28 weeks of age, and 10 dogs were challenged at 28 weeks with epinephrine (2.5 micrograms/kg i.v.), before and after propranolol (0.5 mg/kg i.v.). RESULTS: The incidence and severity of ventricular arrhythmias increased between 7 and 28 weeks of age and decreased between 28 and 44 weeks of age. The age-dependent increase in the incidence of ventricular tachycardia was associated with age-dependent reductions in sinus rate. Baroreflex-mediated slowing of the heart rate unmasked arrhythmias in young animals that did not spontaneously display arrthythmias and exacerbated existing arrhythmias in older animals. However, the magnitude of baroreflex-induced bradycardia was similar from 7-18 weeks of age, yet the incidence of arrhythmias increased progressively. Moreover, the waning of ventricular arrhythmias in older animals was not associated with more rapid sinus rates. CONCLUSION: The risk for sudden death in dogs with inherited ventricular arrhythmias increases with age in part because of age-dependent slowing of heart rate and in part because of other heart-rate-independent factors. The correspondence between the development of ventricular tachycardia and sinus pauses is consistent with the hypothesis that ventricular arrhythmias are initiated by early afterdepolarization-induced triggered activity.     

Simulation of the pressure set-point change transient with the Kuosheng plant analyzer

The purpose of this paper is to simulate the pressure set-point change transient with the Kuosheng plant analyzer. The Kuosheng plant analyzer was developed for the Kuosheng nuclear power station based on the boiling water reactor plant analyzer of the Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Chinshan plant analyzer of the Taiwan Power Co. First, the pressure control system (PCS) model was verified on a stand-alone basis, with the sensed dome pressure test signal as the input variable. Then, a transient induced by a step change in the pressure set-point was simulated with the Kuosheng plant analyzer and compared with the test data. The predicted results of the main system variables showed good agreement with the test data-within 8% of the maximum relative deviation. In addition, the PCS performance of the Kuosheng nuclear power station was analyzed.     

珠江三角洲土坝和堤围震害初步预测

本项预测采用概率方法,即首先根据广东省水利部门提出的55座土坝和59个重点的座标(见附图),进行概率地震危险性分析,给出它们在一定预测年限T(取50年和100年)的地震烈度Ⅰ的超越概率;其次根据近年我国发生的几次强震时处于不同烈度区内的土坝和堤防的震害资料,形成表示土坝和土堤地震易损性的震害概率矩阵;然后,根据上述两方面结果用概率公式评价各土坝和堤围点在预测年限内各震害等级的超越概率,并取10％超越概率为标准,估计震害等级。结果表明,珠江三角洲土工构筑物的地震危害性南部高于北部。     

Molecular recognition with C-clamp porphyrins: synthesis, structural, and complexation studies

The cholesterolaemic effect of 2 hypercholesterolaemic diets was tested in 12 rat inbred strains. Diet I is a commercial diet supplemented with 2.0% (w/w) cholesterol and 5.0% (w/w) olive oil; diet II is identical to diet I with addition of 0.5% (w/w) sodium cholate. Strains with the highest plasma cholesterol response after diet I (BN and LEW) also had the highest cholesterol response after diet II (hyperresponders, mean response > 3.5 mmol/l). In the strains DA, SHR, BC, WAG, LOU, PVG and BUF the strain mean cholesterol response remained below 1.3 mmol/l after both diets (hyporesponders). Strains F344 and OM had an intermediate cholesterol response after both diets (normoresponders, mean response between 1.3 and 3.5 mmol/l). Only in the strains LOU, PVG and SHR there appeared to be a significant higher cholesterol response after diet II when compared with the cholesterol response after diet I. In the strain WKY this difference was of a borderline significance (P = 0.052) and this strain turned from a normoresponder after diet I into a hyperresponder after diet II. Liver cholesterol levels as measured after feeding diet II for two weeks also appeared to be strain-specific. No correlation was found between the plasma cholesterol response after diet II and the liver cholesterol levels. Changes in plasma phospholipid and triglyceride levels have been measured for both diet I and diet II. For group means a correlation between the cholesterol response and the change in phospholipid levels was found (r = 0.86 for diet I, P < 0.001 and r = 0.76 for diet II, P < 0.01). No such correlation was found for triglyceride levels.     

快干性瓦楞纸箱粘合剂的研制

本文叙述了快干性瓦楞纸箱粘合剂的配制及工艺过程。实验结果表明，该粘合剂具有快的干燥速度和良好的性能     

情浸丹青写名园——小谈郝永明的古建园林绘画艺术

郝永明古建园林绘画作品另辟蹊径，难能可贵。郝永明的画，不仅给我国美术宝库增加了一份积累，也给古建园林艺术增添了珍贵的资料。     

Electrical properties and positron annihilation study of (Ba<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ho<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>)TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ceramics

DC resistivity, dielectric constant, dielectric loss and positron annihilation spectra of (Ba_1−x Ho _x )TiO₃ ceramics have been measured as a function of holmium concentration x. It has been found that the DC resistivity of (Ba_1−x Ho _x )TiO₃ is strongly dependent on the Ho content: it decreases three orders of magnitude and reaches a minimum at x = 0.4%. Doping with 0.6% holmium increases the permittivity of BaTiO₃ by approximately three times (from ∼1,300 to ∼4,000), with only a slight increase in the corresponding dielectric loss. The local electron density and defect concentration estimated using positron annihilation technique conforms well to the features found in the dielectric and resistivity measurements. The results have been discussed in terms of a mixed compensation model.     

Error bounds for finite step approximations for solving infinite horizon controlled Markov set-chains

This note considers finite-step approximations for solving an infinite-horizon controlled Markov set-chain problem with finite state and action spaces. We develop a value-iteration type algorithm based on the optimality equation developed by Kurano et al. and analyze an error bound relative to the optimal value that satisfies the optimality equation from the successive approximation. We further analyze an error bound of the approximate control policy defined from a finite-step approximate value by applying the value-iteration type algorithm.     

A 12-36GHz PHEMT MMIC balanced frequency tripler

A novel configuration of balanced frequency InGaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (PHEMT) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) tripler is proposed. A resonant LC filter is used to eliminate the fundamental frequency and a phase delay line is employed to suppress the second harmonic. The separation of the independent phase shifters makes the tripler more compact and flexible. The conversion loss of the tripler operating from 12 to 36GHz is less than 9.4dB at 9-dBm input power. As compared to the third-harmonic frequency, the fundamental frequency is suppressed more than 21.4dB while for the second harmonic is more than 22.3dB at 36GHz.     

Trajectory design considering derivative of jerk for head-positioning of disk drive system with mechanical vibration

In this paper, we propose a novel design method of target trajectory for high-speed and high-precision head positioning of a hard disk drive (HDD) system. To realize smooth acceleration and deceleration, the derivative of jerk is considered not to activate any mechanical vibrations. We applied the well-known optimal control theory to fix the initial and terminal conditions. Moreover, we show that various performances can be improved by introducing time-varying weighting coefficients. Some experimental results using a 2.5-in HDD are shown to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.