Distribution of one of the ascitic fluid antigens of ovarian cancer patients in malignant tumors of the stomach and intestines

The indirect immunofluorescent technique was used to study the distribution of the ascitic fluid antigen (AgD) on histological sections from surgical specimens of gastric and colon tumours from proximal to distal lines of resection. AgD was found in gastric tumours exceptionally in the tumour area and in colon cancer--both in the tumour stroma and in surrounding histologically normal mucosa.     

A randomized voltage vector switching scheme for three-level powerinverters

In this paper, a feasibility study of a randomized space vector switching scheme for three-level inverters is reported. Based on the traditional space vector concept for pulse width modulation (PWM) inverters, the sequence of the space vector is randomized in this scheme. The overall vector, resulting from the randomization, is mathematically identical to that of the traditional space vector. It has been found that the randomized scheme can effectively spread the switching noise over a wide frequency range and at the same time keep the steady-state link capacitor voltage balanced. The proposed scheme has been implemented in real time in a digital controller and its features have been experimentally confirmed     

Stabilization of a Linear Discrete System: A Modification of the Problem

A method of constructing the minimal stabilizing sequence for an interval linear system over the field of real numbers is designed. The problem is shown to be reducible to an interval system of linear algebraic equations.     

Combined shape and sizing optimization of truss structures

 In this paper, an evolutionary optimization method is presented for weight minimum problem of a 3-dimensional truss structure in terms of nodal coordinates and element cross-sectional areas. The structure is subject to stress, local buckling and displacement constraints. Two types of design variables with different natures are optimized separately: (1) a fully stressed design (FSD) and scaling techniques are applied to sizing variables and (2) the evolutionary node shift method is applied to shape variables. Alternating procedure is utilized to couple the two types of variables and to combine the results. The optimum solution is achieved gradually from the initial configuration design. Two typical truss structures are examined to illustrate the validity of the method. Received: 22 October 2001 / Accepted: 04 June 2002 This research work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under the guarantees no. 10072050 and 10172072, respectively.     

Features of Investigation into the Properties of Glasses and Melts from the Late 19th Century to the Present Day

The evolution of investigations into glass properties is described with the use of the SciGlass information system on the basis of an analysis of the world literature on glass from the end of the 19th century to the present day. Variations in the total amount of published data, in the interest of researchers in certain glass components and their properties, in the specific features of forming research groups, and in the general quality of publications are considered. Measures are proposed that can prevent a further decline in the quality of published experimental results.     

Adjuvant arthritis: influence of the adjuvant volume and composition on the non-specific inflammation

Adjuvant-induced arthritis is an animal model of chronic inflammatory disease widely used in anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs testing. When the development and the inhibition of the induced arthritis are measured by the injected paw oedema, it is difficult to delineate the immunological contribution from the persistent non-specific primary section. To study the influence of volume and composition of the injected adjuvant upon the primary non-specific inflammation, we devised a 3X4 factorial experiment on a strain of inbred rats with a low susceptibility to adjuvant-induced arthritis. The injection of mineral oil alone produces a persistent oedema. The injection of mycobacteriae in suspension in saline induces a rapid inflammatory response followed by a fast decrease of the oedema. When complete adjuvant is used, there is always a very strong interaction between the effects of the two components of the adjuvant, i.e. the measured oedemas are much greater than the calculated values, For a given injected volume, the inflammation is maximum when the concentration of mycobacteriae is 2.5 mg/ml. All the rats injected with complete adjuvant present a transient oedema of the non-injected hind paw. This oedema is very small and proportional to the amount of mycobacteria injected.     

Determining pheromone content of hairpencils from individual virgin males ofPseudaletia unipuncta (Haw.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Levels of benzaldehyde recovered from virginPseudaletia unipuncta (Haw.) males were not influenced by (1) the time hairpencils remained in the solvent (1-72 hr), (2) anesthetization or agitation of males prior to excision of hairpencils, or (3) the time (photophase or scotophase) that hairpencils were excised. Thus the interindividual variability observed is not a methodological artifact. Most males had similar concentrations in both hairpencils, although in some cases only one hairpencil contained pheromone. In one case, a male with partially extruded hairpencils had no benzaldehyde at all. Neither pupal weight nor hairpencil length proved to be reliable indicators of pheromone content.Contribution No. 373, Département de biologie, Université Laval.