Metrological analysis of measuring systems in testing an anticipatory reaction to the position of a moving object

This study compared the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors captopril versus enalapril on left ventricular (LV) muscle mass and LV systolic and diastolic function in 58 patients with primary glomerulonephritis and moderate chronic renal failure. The design was a 6-8 week titration phase and 6-month maintenance phase. Mean myocardial mass calculated by M-mode echocardiography in the captopril group was 153 +/- 26 g/m2 before, and 130 +/- 14 g/m2 after 6 months of treatment, in enalapril group 147 +/- 22 g/m2 before, and 126 +/- 23 g/m2 after 6 months of treatment (p < 0.05). LV ejection fraction, early and late transmitral flow velocities and early to late LV inflow velocities ratio were not significantly affected by both ACE inhibitors.     

Neuropsychological and motor functioning after unilateral anatomically guided posterior ventral pallidotomy. Preoperative performance and three-month follow-up

This study presents baseline and 3-month follow-up motor and neuropsychological data for 22 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) who underwent anatomically guided unilateral posterior ventral pallidotomy (PVP). Postsurgical improvements were seen in psychomotor speed, fine motor accuracy, and dyskinesia, whereas grip strength decreased on the side contralateral to the surgery. No change was detected in overall level of cognitive functioning, nor were changes demonstrated in memory, language, or working memory when the entire sample of patients was evaluated. When the group was divided on the basis of side of surgery, patients with left-sided pallidotomies showed a decline in verbal fluency. Patients and caregivers reported improvement in psychosocial functioning. These initial findings of improved motor performance and largely unaffected cognitive functions are consistent with results obtained with functional PVP and provide support for the use of anatomically guided posterior ventral pallidotomy in the treatment of motor symptoms of PD.     

The significance of fetal myocardial and skeletal muscle function as a factor affecting its viability

Histologic study of the heart and functionally active zones of skeletal muscles of the lower limbs of fetuses and newborns (71 cases) is undertakes to distinguish the factors affecting the viability of the fetus (new-born) and detect the total-system muscle tissue involvement after the general morphogenetic mechanism. The basic criteria of a pathological process caused by capillarotrophic myocardial insufficiency are dystrophy, necrosis, and sclerosis. Various forms of nonspecific prenatal myopathy were detected in the skeletal muscles; they were combined with symptoms of chronic myocardial hypoxia. A relationship between cardiovascular abnormalities and intrauterine and neonatal death is revealed.     

Automated Control System for Thermocompression Unit

Maintenance of temperature-rate modes of deformation is considered for isothermal superplastic stamping on a thermocompression unit. In the automated control system proposed for a thermocompression unit a PC regulates the heating rate of the working elements by using custom software and method for obtaining the initial information.     

Synthesis of 1,4,5-trimethyl-7-thiabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-one from 3,7-dimethyl-5-thianonan-2,8-dione

It was found that the heating of 3,7-dimethyl-5-thianonan-2,8-dione at 50°C in ethanol in the presence of potassium hydroxide yields 1,4,5-trimethyl-7-thiabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-one as a mixture of 5-exo-and 5-endo-isomers in the ratio of 5:1. The oxidation of thiabicyclooctanone with hydrogen peroxide and its reduction with sodium borohydride result in 1,4,5-trimethyl-7-thiabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2-one-7,7-dioxide and 1,4,5-trimethyl-7-thiabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2-ol, respectively.     

The primary zone in the combustion of solid propellants containing catalysts

Using a scanning electron microscope and an x-ray microprobe analyzer, we investigated the structure and composition of the combustion surface of the N propellant containing catalysts (PbO₂, CuO, PbO₂+CuO) which was extinguished at various pressures. Based on the obtained results, the heat-transfer coefficient was calculated for the layer above the catalyzed propellant combustion surface and found to be greater than that of the gas by factors ranging from 1.5 to 15. The calculation of the C-phase heat balance for the N propellant with additives showed that the rise in the combustion rate is caused by the increased quantity of heat entering into the C-phase from the zone above the combustion surface. Thus, the driving stage in the combustion of catalyzed propellants is the zone above the combustion surface and not the C-phase reaction layer, as in the case of the propellants without any catalysts.D. I. Mendeleev Russian Chemical Methodology University, 125190 Moscow. Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 32–40, March–April, 1995.     

Separation of Am(III) and Pu(IV) at Their Joint Oxalate Precipitation

A procedure was developed for purification of plutonium to remove americium by oxalate precipitation using diethyl oxalate as a precipitant. The developed procedure was tested under laboratory conditions and on an enlarged installation. It was shown that the decontamination factor of plutonium from americium can exceed 2 ×10³. The plutonium oxalate precipitate can be dissolved by heating with HNO₃ in the presence of V(V) catalyst and also by electrochemical dissolution at alternating current.