Renal proliferative and phenotypic changes in rats with two-kidney, one-clip Goldblatt hypertension

Previous research in this laboratory has shown that preweaning and postweaning juvenile meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, can acquire a spatial task, the Morris water-maze task. The present study examined the influence of age of juvenile acquisition ("before weaning" (BW; Day 10 and 15 after birth) and "after weaning" (AW; Day 20 and 25 after birth)) of a spatial task on subsequent re-acquisition of the same hidden-platform spatial water-maze task. This study also compared sex differences and litter sex-ratio effects on reacquisition performance. Fifteen litters of adults were re-tested in the same water maze 6 weeks after being initially tested as juveniles. All analyses were conducted using a covariate that removed the group differences in the original task performance. Adult voles from female-biased litters, that had previously learned the task at an older juvenile age (AW), reacquired the same task faster than adults that had previously learned the task at a younger juvenile age (BW). In the adult BW group there was also a significant litter sex-ratio effect such that voles born into a female-biased litter re-acquired the task more slowly than did voles born into a male-biased litter. There were no significant sex or litter sex-ratio effects on spatial learning in the AW group. These results show that adult meadow voles can require a spatial task more quickly if they initially learned the task at an older juvenile age, suggestive of a period of infantile amnesia. In addition, these results indicate that the litter sex-ratio can affect adult spatial performance, suggesting that the relative amount of androgens in utero may influence the development of sexually-dimorphic spatial ability in adulthood.     

Selenium content of feeds and effect of dietary selenium on hair and blood serum.

A selenium depletion diet (.025 ppm selenium) was fed to two male Holstein calves for its effect on concentrations of selenium in serum. By 90 days, selenium in serum was depressed from .022 ppm to .013 ppm, and one of two calves had died of "possible white muscle disease." Repletion was rapid in that a diet containing .200 ppm selenium increased selenium in serum to .028 ppm within 2 wk. Dietary .280 ppm selenium increased it to .051 ppm in 1 wk. Eleven cows and eleven calves showed averages of .030 ppm in serum (range of .013 to .051 ppm) fed a diet of corn silage (.039 ppm) and supplement (.090 ppm). A sampling of feedstuffs showed a wide range of selenium among feedstuffs (.023 for corn cobs to 2.663 ppm for dried egg albumin) and a wide range within one type feedstuff (shelled corn, .017 to .219 ppm).     

Stability of Static Power Inverters and Synchronous Reluctance Multimotor Systems

Ten to 100 kVA multimotor variable frequency inverter systems are generally unstable over part of their frequency range. Experimental results from dozens of tests made with single and multimotors, and with several inverters varying in capacity and output impedance, are presented. Aberrations in output shaft angular velocity is the measured variable. Both gain and phase measurements are made while controlled excitation signals are applied to the inverter system. Practical stability criteria for synchronous motors are presented. A system model is presented in block diagram form. Correlation of theory with previously published synchronous reluctance motor analyses is achieved.     

Automatic detection of mass-resolved ion conics

A processing algorithm for automatically detecting a specific type of ion distribution (called the ion conic distribution) in data obtained from a space-based mass spectrometer has been devised. Automation of this task is necessary due to the sparseness of conic events within the very large databases typical of space plasma instruments. The algorithm used to perform this automated analysis and the methods used to verify the algorithm are described. Initial results on the characterization of the near-Earth space plasma are summarized     

Bi-2223/Ag-sheathed tape processing studies

The production of high critical current density J_c Bi-2223/Ag sheathed conductors is a complex process involving interactions among many different parameters. The effects of three factors: 1) powder production path, 2) the first sinter temperature, and 3) the subsequent sinter temperatures were investigated. Statistical methods were used to design the experiment and interpret the results. Transport J_c was the main response for the analysis, but microstructural results were also used to assess the physical basis for the differences in performance. The powder variable had the largest main effect with only very weak main effects for the other factors.     

A low-power microprocessor based on resonant energy

We describe AC-1, a CMOS microprocessor that derives most of its operating power from the clock signals rather than from dc supplies. Clock-powered circuit elements are selectively used to drive high-fan-out nodes. An inductor-based, all-resonant clock-power generator allows us to recover 85% of the clock-drive energy. The measured top frequency for the microprocessor was 58.8 MHz at 26.2 mW. The resulting overall decrease in dissipation ranges from four to five times at clock frequencies from 35 to 54 MHz. We also compare the performance of the processor to a reimplementation in static logic     

Higher-order vector finite elements for tetrahedral cells

Edge-based vector finite elements are widely used for two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) electromagnetic modeling. This paper seeks to extend these low-order elements to higher orders to improve the accuracy of numerical solutions. These elements have relaxed normal-component continuity to prohibit spurious modes, and also satisfy Nedelec's constraints to eliminate unnecessary degrees of freedom while remaining entirely local in character. Element matrix derivations are given for the first two vector finite element sets. Also, results of the application of these basis functions to cavity resonators demonstrate the superiority of the higher-order elements     

Preparative chromatographic isolation of hydroxy acids fromLesquerella fendleri andL. gordonii seed oils

To conduct product development research onLesquerella seed oils, we explored methods to obtain >100 g quantities of lesquerolic (14-hydroxy-cis-11-eicosenoic) acid. Preliminary experiments with open-column silica gel chromatography showed thatL. fendleri oil could be separated into 3 triglyceride (TG) fractions. The first (10%) contained nonhydroxy 16-(13%) and 18-carbon acids (65% 18∶1,2,3). The second fraction (15%) contained monolesquerolins (39% lesquerolic acid). The major TG fraction (73%) was mainly dilesquerolins (66% lesquerolic acid) showing that a hydroxy acid-enriched TG oil was obtainable by this procedure. Silica gel chromatography easily separatedL. fendleri fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) into a hydroxy-free ester fraction (40–44%) consisting largely of 18∶1 (39%), 18∶2 (19%) and 18∶3 (31%), and a hydroxy ester fraction (56–60%) that was largely methyl lesquerolate (94%) with small amounts of auricolate (5%) (14-hydroxy-cis-11,cis-17-eicosadienoate) and traces of 18-carbon hydroxy esters. This process for isolating the hydroxy FAME ofLesquerella oil was scaled up 15-to 100-fold with a preparative high performance liquid chromatograph. Thirty-gram samples ofL. gordonii FAME were dissolved in eluting solvent, pumped onto the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) silica column and eluted with 97∶3 hexane/ethyl acetate. In an 8-hr period, up to 200 g of methyl lesquerolate could be obtained with a purity >98%, the only contaminants being methyl auricolate and methyl ricinoleate. Presented at the AOCS meeting in Phoenix, AZ, May 1988. The mention of firm names or trade products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over other firms or similar products not mentioned.     

Modeling Energy Recovery Using Thermoelectric Conversion Integrated with an Organic Rankine Bottoming Cycle

Engine and industrial waste heat are sources of high-grade thermal energy that can potentially be utilized. This paper describes a model system that employs thermoelectric conversion as a topping cycle integrated with an organic Rankine bottoming cycle. The model has many parameters that define combined system quantities such as overall output power and conversion efficiency. The model can identify the optimal performance points for both the thermoelectric and organic Rankine bottoming cycle. Key analysis results are presented showing the impact of critical design parameters on power output and system performance.