Comparison of the glucose-lowering properties of vanadyl sulfate and bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) following acute and chronic administration

The possibility that progesterone or estradiol may regulate expression of G protein in the rat myometrium during the course of pregnancy has been investigated using 1) immunoblot analysis of Gi2 alpha, Gi3 alpha, and Gq alpha subunits and 2) hybridization blot analysis of subunit mRNA. Eighteen hours after administration, estradiol had significantly increased the levels of both Gi2 alpha subunit and Gi2 alpha mRNA (by 40% and 32%, respectively). In control pregnant rats, we observed similar changes at the end of pregnancy, when myometrial concentrations of estradiol had increased, i.e., a 41% increase in immunoreactive Gi2 alpha subunit that correlated with a parallel 45% increase in mRNA levels. In contrast, levels of immunoreactive Gi3 alpha subunit and mRNA, which decreased with advancing gestation, were not influenced by estradiol or progesterone administration. Progesterone administration resulted 30 h later in a significantly decreased level of Gq alpha immunoreactivity (32%) and Gq alpha mRNA (30%). In control rats, Gq alpha protein and mRNA were also significantly lower at midpregnancy under progesterone dominance vs. term. At this stage, a twofold increase in Gq alpha subunit correlated with a 40% increase in mRNA levels. These results demonstrate that myometrial Gi2 alpha and Gq alpha subunits are physiological targets for estradiol and progesterone, respectively, in vivo. Alterations of these G protein levels are discussed in relation to their mediating effects on adenylyl cyclase activity or the phospholipase C pathway during the course of pregnancy.     

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in preterm infants: report of two cases successfully diagnosed by non-bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage

We present two cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in apparently immunocompetent preterm infants presenting with unexplained respiratory distress associated with a predominantly interstitial process on the chest radiograph. Definite diagnosis was promptly established on the detection of cyst forms in the lung fluid obtained by non-bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage, and a favourable outcome was achieved.     

钢的连铸用保护渣的表征

在钢的连铸过程中,结晶器保护渣的性质强烈地影响着铸造的行为、钢的质量、以及连铸工艺的环境.本研究采用高温显微技术来研究保护渣的熔化行为,采用液滴测试方法来测定保护渣的熔化速率.结果表明:自由碳是控制保护渣熔化行为的主要因素.熔化速率随碳的反应能力的增加而增加,随着碳含量的减少而增加.     

Thermodynamic mixing functions and phase equilibria in the nickel-chromium system by high-temperature knudsen cell mass spectrometry

Thermodynamic excess functions of nickel-chromium alloys in the body-centered cubic (bcc) phase have been investigated by computer-aided Knudsen cell mass spectrometry in the tem-perature range of 1300 to 1650 K. Activities, as well as molar excess Gibbs energies, enthalpies, and entropies, were obtained from the ion intensities as a function of composition by fitting to a subregular solution model [2-parameter thermodynamically adapted power (TAP) series:C ^H _n in J/mol,C ^H ₁ = 3900,C ^H ₁ = 44,610;C ^S _n in J/mol-K,C = 9.71, c= 13.52]. Based upon these data, the phase diagram has been recalculated.     

Current gain-Early voltage products in heterojunction bipolartransistors with nonuniform base bandgaps

The tradeoff between common-emitter current gain (β) and Early voltage (V_A) in heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) where the bandgap varies across the base has been studied. The Early voltage depends exponentially on the difference between the bandgap at the collector side of the base and the largest bandgap in the base, allowing very high Early voltages with only very thin narrow bandgap regions. Using Si/Si_1-xGe_x/Si HBTs with a two-layer stepped base, βV_A products of over 100000 V have been achieved for devices with a cutoff frequency expected to be about 30 GHz     

The effect of multipath on the detection of symbol-rate spectrallines by delay and multiply receivers

The effect of a secondary path signal on the detectability of the symbol rate spectral line of a binary phase-shift keyed (BPSK) signal by a delay and multiply receiver is investigated. The measure of detectability used is the rate line signal-to-noise ratio. The parameters that define the secondary path signal are initially modeled as deterministic quantities; the phase of the secondary path signal is then taken to be a random variable independent and uniform on (0, 2π). It is found that, with deterministic path parameters, the presence of a secondary path can seriously affect the detectability of BPSK rate lines. When the phase is taken to be uniform on (0, 2π) over the receiver observation time, then the delay and multiply receiver performs as if no multipath is present. In this case, a noncoherent power addition of the primary and secondary path signals occurs