Effects of beta-carotene and other factors on outcome of cervical dysplasia and human papillomavirus infection

OBJECTIVES: The age-dependence of the development of ventricular arrhythmias was studied in German shepherd dogs with inherited ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. BACKGROUND: A colony of German shepherd dogs has been established that exhibit inherited ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. The incidence of arrhythmias increases with age. Because ventricular tachycardia is associated with bradycardia, it was hypothesized that the increased incidence of arrhythmias was related to age-dependent slowing of heart rate. METHODS: Arrhythmia counts and RR intervals were measured from serial ambulatory ECG recordings obtained in 71 dogs (1-48 weeks). In addition, 19 dogs were challenged with phenylephrine (10 micrograms/kg i.v.) at 15, 28, and 45 weeks of age, 10 dogs were challenged with epinephrine (1 microgram/kg i.v.) at 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 18, and 28 weeks of age, and 10 dogs were challenged at 28 weeks with epinephrine (2.5 micrograms/kg i.v.), before and after propranolol (0.5 mg/kg i.v.). RESULTS: The incidence and severity of ventricular arrhythmias increased between 7 and 28 weeks of age and decreased between 28 and 44 weeks of age. The age-dependent increase in the incidence of ventricular tachycardia was associated with age-dependent reductions in sinus rate. Baroreflex-mediated slowing of the heart rate unmasked arrhythmias in young animals that did not spontaneously display arrthythmias and exacerbated existing arrhythmias in older animals. However, the magnitude of baroreflex-induced bradycardia was similar from 7-18 weeks of age, yet the incidence of arrhythmias increased progressively. Moreover, the waning of ventricular arrhythmias in older animals was not associated with more rapid sinus rates. CONCLUSION: The risk for sudden death in dogs with inherited ventricular arrhythmias increases with age in part because of age-dependent slowing of heart rate and in part because of other heart-rate-independent factors. The correspondence between the development of ventricular tachycardia and sinus pauses is consistent with the hypothesis that ventricular arrhythmias are initiated by early afterdepolarization-induced triggered activity.     

The medial preoptic area, necessary for adult maternal behavior in rats, is only partially established as a component of the neural circuit that supports maternal behavior in juvenile rats.

To determine whether the neurons of the medial preoptic area (MPOA) are necessary for pup-induced maternal behavior (MB) in juvenile and adult rats, subjects received bilateral injections of the neurotoxin N-methyl-{d}-aspartic acid into the MPOA. Controls were intact or were sham treated by surgical placement of the syringe barrel. The rats were then induced into MB by constant pup exposure. Starting at 27 (juvenile) or 60 (adult) days of age, rats were tested for MB for 12 consecutive days. After histological analysis, rats were categorized as having either large or small lesions of the MPOA. In juveniles, large lesions of the MPOA blocked retrieval and impaired nest-building, but crouching behavior was unaffected; small lesions had no effect on MB. In contrast, in adults, large or small lesions severely impaired all components of MB. The results suggest that in juvenile rats, the role of the MPOA neurons in MB is only partially established, whereas by 60 days of age, the unsubstitutable role of the MPOA in the neural circuit that mediates MB is fully established. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

2-Mercaptobenzothiazolate complexes of rare earth metals and their electroluminescent properties

We have demonstrated the electroluminescent (EL) properties of 2-mercaptobenzothiazolate complexes of rare earth metals [Ln(mbt)₃, Ln = Y, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Tm] using simple non-doped two-layer organic light emitting diode with the configuration of indium tin oxide/N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N′-diphenylbenzidine/Ln(mbt)₃/Yb. It was found that 2-mercaptobenzothiazolate complexes have highly efficient intra-energy transfer from the singlet to the triplet state of the ligand, and then to the excited state of the central lanthanide ions. Thus Y(mbt)₃ and Gd(mbt)₃ exhibit the broad ligand-centered emission with maximum near 600 nm and Dy(mbt)₃, Tb(mbt)₃ and Tm(mbt)₃ complexes exhibit pure sharp emission bands from the intra f–f transitions of lanthanide ions Tb³⁺: ⁵D₄ → ⁷F₆ (492 nm), ⁵D₄ → ⁷F₅ (547 nm), ⁵D₄ → ⁷F₄ (589 nm), ⁵D₄ → ⁷F₃ (624 nm); Dy³⁺: ⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_13/2 (575 nm) and Tm³⁺: ³H₄–³H₆ (795 нм).     

Determination of the average channel temperature of GaN MOSHFETs under continuous wave and periodic-pulsed RF operational conditions

We present a method to determine the average device channel temperature of AlGaN/GaN metal–oxide–semiconductor heterostructure field effect transistors (MOSHFETs) in the time domain under continuous wave (CW) and periodic-pulsed RF (radiation frequency) operational conditions. The temporal profiles of microwave output power densities of GaN MOSHFETs were measured at 2 GHz under such conditions and used for determination of the average channel temperature. The measurement technique in this work is also being utilized to determine the thermal time constant of the devices. Analytical temporal solutions of temperature profile in MOSHFETs are provided to support the method. The analytical solutions can also apply to generic field effect transistors (FETs) with an arbitrary form of time-dependent heat input at the top surface of the wafer. It is found that the average channel temperature of GaN MOSHFETs on a 300 μm sapphire substrate with the output power of 10 W/mm can be over 400 °C in the CW mode while the average channel temperature of GaN MOSHFETs on a SiC substrate with the same thickness only reaches 50 °C under the same condition. The highest average channel temperature in a pulsed RF mode will vary with respect to the duty cycle of the pulse and type of the substrate.     

Simulation of electron transport in GaAs/AlAs superlattices with a small number of periods for the THz frequency range

The electron transport in superlattices based on GaAs/AlAs heterostructures with a small number of periods (6 periods) is calculated by the Monte Carlo method. These superlattices are used in terahertz diodes for the frequency stabilization of quantum cascade lasers in the range up to 4.7 THz. The band structure of superlattices with different numbers of AlAs monolayers is considered and their current–voltage characteristics are calculated. The calculated current–voltage characteristics are compared with the experimental data. The possibility of the efficient application of these superlattices in the THz frequency range is established both theoretically and experimentally.     

Single-Lobe Single-Wavelength Lasing in Ultrabroad-Area Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers Based on the Integrated Filter Concept

We have studied broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers grown in the antiwaveguiding approach (AVCSELs). The AVCSEL-type devices were fabricated in the ridge stripe geometry with openings in the top contact layer. Surface lasing was realized and evaluated for the devices with and without the integrated absorber section, acting as a selective filter for the emission modes propagating at finite tilt angle with respect to the normal to the surface (F-AVCSEL). It was found that the conventional AVCSEL device lases in high-order excited modes, tilted with respect to the normal to the surface, while lower order modes evolve at higher current densities causing a dramatic broadening of the emission spectrum. On the contrary, the F-AVCSEL emission is composed of a single spectral feature, which remains hardly affected up to the highest current densities >10 kA/cm². The far-field pattern is composed of a single zero-angle lobe with a beam divergence defined by the size of the opening in the top contact. No spectral features due to parasitic high-order modes were observed. The Gaussian-type single-wavelength surface-emitting lasing with an output power of 70 mW was realized in all-epitaxial wavelength-selective filter concept.     

Crack-like formation of failure-decided angle points on middle planes of the layers resistant to bending in multi-layer structure - a continuum model

A theoretical model is considered that describes, in a continuum approximation, formation of a segment of angle points on the middle planes of thin layers forming a multi-layer structure. These points are associated with the jumps of the slope of the middle planes on the segment. A 2-D case is dealt with. The structure is assumed to be a half-plane with its boundary parallel to the layers and acted upon by a symmetric distribution of the displacements normal to the boundary. The layers forming the structure are assumed capable of mutually gliding with respect to each other and of revealing their flexure rigidity under the above loading. The continuum approximation to describe the above multi-layer structure has been applied. Physically the above mathematical angle points may (depending on the layer material properties) emerge either as a result of transverse fracture of the layers or as a result of intensive local plastic deformation (formation of the plastic `hinges'). As a result, the bending moment drops drastically, so that it is assumed dropping down to zero. This condition is employed to determine the distribution of the above slope jumps. The segment length is determined by equating the bending moment at the remote (from the boundary) end of the segment to a critical (specified) value of the bending moment. Thus, the problem of determining the slope jumps on the segment is reduced to a Fredholm integral equation of the first kind with the kernel having an integrable singularity. This equation has been solved numerically. The results of the calculations are presented.     

Carrier heating in quantum wells under optical and current injection of electron-hole pairs

Carrier heating in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells (QWs) under optical interband pumping in the spontaneous-emission mode has been studied. The electron temperature was determined as a function of the pumping intensity. The effect of the electric field on the photoluminescence spectrum was examined. The change in the carrier concentration with the drive current in the spontaneous- and stimulated-emission modes in InGaAsSb/InAlGaAsSb QWs was determined from electroluminescence spectra. The rise in the temperature of hot carriers, which results in the increase in the carrier concentration with the drive current, was roughly estimated.     

Operating characteristics and their anisotropy in a high-power laser (1.5 W, 300 K) with a quantum-dot active region

Continuous-wave lasing has been demonstrated in a vertically coupled quantum-dot laser with a high output power (1.5 W) at room temperature. It was shown that anisotropy of the quantum dot profile leads to anisotropy of the laser operating characteristics. Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 24, 50–55 (May 12, 1998)