D-aspartate modulates melatonin synthesis in rat pinealocytes

The effect of protection of dopaminergic neurons by talipexole, a dopamine (DA) agonist, is investigated on a methamphetamine (MA)-induced parkinsonism model of mice (C57BL/6N). The reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the striatum 72 h after MA (5 mg/kg every 2 h, four times) treatment was attenuated by the administration of talipexole (0.25 mg/kg or 1.0 mg/kg) prior to the administration of MA. In an in vitro experiment, talipexole inhibited the adduction reaction of hydroxyl radicals to salicylate. Taken together, these data suggest that the protective effect of talipexole on DA neurons is, in part, caused by the hydroxyl radical-scavenging action of the drug.     

如何设计安全、有效的信号继电器

高档的通信设备曾一度只能在办公环境中才能使用,然而现在这种情况已经改变,家庭中已经普遍具备了互连能力,许多家用电子设备现在通过Ipv6和其他技术已经具备了上网能力。随着宽带通信应用的增加,调制解调器、各种DSL接入复用器以及其他类似设备的安装已经遍及办公室和家庭,消费者可以方便获得价廉的通信设备。对于设备制造商来说,这些装置必须满足安全标准,如IEC60950(InternationalElectrotechnicalCommission第三版),它要求在与数据通信线连接的设备上实现电话网络高压电路的隔离。一般情况下,人们采用传统的电磁通信继电器来开关内…     

A quantitative method for LDH, MDH and albumin levels in tears with ocular surface toxicity scored by Draize criteria in rabbit eyes

We have established a quantitative method for evaluation of ocular surface lesions on the basis of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activity, and albumin levels in rabbit tears. Lesions were produced with solutions of 0.005-0.02% benzalkonium chloride (BAK), 0.01-0.03% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX), and 0.01-0.03% polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB), all of which are widely used in topical ophthalmic preparations. Two drops of test solution were instilled 15 times into rabbit eyes at 5 minute intervals. Sixty minutes after 0.02% BAK instillation, tear LDH activity increased from 1,840 U/L (without instillation) to 26,100 U/L, and concomitantly tear albumin levels rose from 0.11 mg/mL (without instillation) to 9.48 mg/mL. Instillation of 0.03% CHX and 0.03% PHMB caused smaller increases in LDH and MDH activity and albumin tear levels. LDH activity and albumin levels in tears were significantly correlated with the degree of total ocular surface lesions in both cornea and conjunctiva as observed by slit lamp biomicroscopy quantified using a modified Draize score. Based on the results of this study, we believe that LDH activity and albumin level in tears can be used as objective indicators for the quantitative evaluation of ocular surface lesions on both cornea and conjunctiva following application of topical ophthalmic preparations containing cytotoxic preservatives in animals and man.     

Identification of global modeshape from a few nodal eigenvectors using simple free-form deformation

A new method, different from common eigenvalue extraction methods, was proposed by Li and Kikuchi (in 8th ARC conference, 2002). It consists of explicit finite-element method and eigenvalue-extraction method in time domain. Even though the new method performs well in extracting eigenvalues, it is difficult to identify global modeshape of the given structure due to large size of time history data. Only some eigenvectors of a few nodal points can be extracted. In this paper, we apply computer animation technique to identify the global modeshape from a few nodal eigenvectors. Free-form deformation (FFD) technique is simply modified—simple FFD—and applied to the identification of global modeshapes. The basic concepts that consist of simple FFD algorithm are Delaunay triangulation and barycentric coordinate. Some numerical examples show good performance for the identification of global modeshape of a given structure.     

燃料挥发性对柴油机性能及排放的影响

针对不同的发动机热状态及压缩比，试验研究了燃料物化特性对柴油机稳态及过渡工况下性能、排放的影响规律。应用自行开发的柴油机过渡工况控制系统及排气采集装置，模拟车用柴油机实际工作时的加速状态，对具有相同十六烷值但有不同挥发性能燃料的HC排放特性进行了研究，利用气相色谱仪对HC排放成分进行了分析。研究结果表明，采用挥发性好的燃料，可有效降低排气烟度，提高有效热效率，在发动机热状态不好及压缩比较低等燃烧条件恶劣、HC排放高的情况下，可有效地降低HC排放。     

Manufacture of three-layer wood–porcelain stone composite board reinforced with bamboo fiber

The objective of this study was to improve bending strength properties of three-layer wood–porcelain stone composite board. The focus of this study was on the effects of orientations and weight ratios of bamboo fiber in face layer on physical and mechanical properties of the board. Three types of board with different orientation of bamboo fibers in the face layer were manufactured: one in which the fibers were oriented at random orientation (R board), another in which the fibers were oriented at unidirectional orientation (U board), and a third in which the fibers were oriented at cross orientation (C board). The physical and mechanical properties of the boards were evaluated based on the Japanese Industrial Standard for Particleboards. The main results obtained were as follows: Bending strength properties of the board were strongly affected by both orientation and weight ratio of bamboo fibers. Perpendicular specimen of C board has larger bending strength properties than U board and the value become larger with increased weight ratio of bamboo fibers. Internal bond strength value decreased with increasing weight ratio of bamboo fibers. The effect of orientation and weight ratios of bamboo fiber on thickness swelling of the board was not significant.     

Power and temperature distribution during microwave thawing, simulated by using Maxwell's equations and Lambert's law

The microwave thawing of frozen food was simulated by using an equation to describe heat conduction. This was based on the fact that the thermal and dielectric properties of food vary with temperature. The microwave power absorbed was modelled by using Maxwell's equations and Lambert's law. The power and temperature distributions calculated using both models were compared. Although Lambert's law is theoretically less applicable for simulating the transmitted microwave power, it provided an effective numerical approach for calculating temperature distribution during microwave thawing, which proved compatible with experimental results.     

Regulatory mechanism of pepsinogen gene expression in monolayer cultured guinea pig gastric chief cells

We have investigated the effects of dibutyryl cAMP, forskolin, carbamylcholine chloride (carbachol), ionomycin, and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on the expression of guinea pig pepsinogen mRNA in monolayer cultured gastric chief cells. After exposure of the cells to each of these compounds for 4 to 24 hr, and at 48 hr after primary culture, total cellular RNA was isolated using acid guanidium-phenol-chloroform and then was reverse transcribed to cDNA. Obtained cDNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers detecting guinea pig pepsinogen mRNA and human beta-actin mRNA as an internal standard. The PCR products were separated and quantified using capillary electrophoresis. Dibutyryl cAMP and forskolin significantly increased pepsinogen mRNA, but carbachol, ionomycin, and TPA failed to increase that. These findings suggested that pepsinogen gene expression was up-regulated by intracellular cAMP, but not by intracellular calcium or protein kinase C in guinea pig chief cells.     

Preparation of CdS-doped Glasses from Gels Containing Diethyldithiocarbamatocadmium

CdS-doped SiO₂ glasses were prepared via silica gels containing diethyldithiocarbamatocadmium Cd(S₂CN(C₂H₅)₂)₂. Heat treatment of the gels gave transparent yellow SiO₂glasses doped with hexagonal CdS crystals. In optical absorption and fluorescence spectra, the optical absorption edge and the emission peak clearly exhibited a blue shift, which was attributed to the quantum size effect of the carrier confinement, as the CdS content was decreased. In the fluorescence spectra of the CdS-doped silica glasses, the emission peak was observed only near 500 nm and not observed at longer wavelengths which were known to be present if there were sulfur vacancies.