Vectorcardiographic evaluation of myocardial infarct size: departure parameters are superior to conventional spatial parameters

OBJECTIVE: To measure the effects of losartan and amlodipine on peripheral capillary microcirculation in hypertension. SETTING: Medical out-patient clinic, Basel, in a university teaching hospital. METHODS: After a 4-week placebo run-in period 20 patients aged 50 +/- 8 (range 36-65) years with mild-to-moderate hypertension were randomly allocated to receive active treatment with losartan 50 mg titrated to losartan 50 mg/hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) 12.5 mg, or amlodipine 5 mg titrated to 10 mg for a 12 week period. Titration was performed if diastolic blood pressure (BP) was > or=90 mm Hg after 6 weeks of treatment. BP measurements as well as video capillary microscopy of the finger nailfold at the end of the placebo period and after 12 weeks of active treatment were compared. Capillary blood cell velocity was measured at rest and immediately, 1 min and 2 min after local finger cooling. RESULTS: After 3 months of treatment with amlodipine (n = 10) and losartan titrated to losartan-HCT (n = 10) sitting BP decreased significantly from 160 +/- 7/103 +/- 4 mm Hg and 147 +/- 7/98 +/- 6 mm Hg to 131 +/- 10/86 +/- 7 mm Hg and 134 +/- 17/89 +/- 9 mm Hg, respectively (P < 0.01). After local finger cooling the area under the curve (AUC) of capillary blood cell velocities was 1.13 +/- 0.58 mm (median +/- s.d.) at baseline and increased to 1.94 +/- 1.15 (P < 0.05) in losartan/losartan-HCT treated patients. In amlodipine treated patients the increase in AUC of capillary blood cell velocity did not reach the level of statistical significance (1.59 +/- 1.36 to 2.14 +/- 1.05 mm). CONCLUSION: This small trial shows that the area under the curve of capillary blood cell velocity increases in hypertensive patients treated with both losartan/losartan-HCT and amlodipine compared with baseline values.     

Time-dependent variation of the stress distribution in a long strip compressed oppositely with elastic flat punches

A time-dependent variation of the stress distribution in a long strip compressed oppositely with elastic flat punches is analysed by using a combination of model materials such as Araldite for the punch and softened celluloid for the strip. The stress analyses in the elastic punch and the plastically deforming strip are performed with the usual photoelasticity and the photorheological stress analysis proposed by one of the present authors at 2, 40, 160 and 300 min after loading. The time-dependent variations of stress distributions in the punch and strip, especially on their contact surfaces, are investigated in detail and compared with the corresponding result for a semi-infinite plate compressed with an elastic flat punch on a part of its straight boundary as obtained previously.     

Gap-coupled patch-type waveguide-to-microstrip transition on single-layer dielectric substrate at V-band

A compact gap-coupled patch-type waveguide-to-microstrip transition at V-band is proposed. It uses the coplanar waveguide feed patch and the gap-coupled parasitic patch antenna radiating into the waveguide to improve the bandwidth. This type of transition has a wide bandwidth (BW=4.7%) more than a single-patch-type transition (BW=1.3%) on a single-layer alumina substrate for -15 dB return loss.     

Protective effect of D-psicose against testicular atrophy induced by di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate

The pollutant di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a suspected reproductive toxicant. To clarify the protective effect of D-psicose on DEHP-induced testicular atrophy, we exposed rats to 1% DEHP via their diet while receiving D-psicose supplementation. A significant negative correlation was found between plasma mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) concentrations and relative testicular weight in rats given the 1% DEHP-containing diet for seven?days. There was, however, no significant difference in testicular weight compared with control in rats given the 1% DEHP-containing diet plus 2% D-psicose-supplemented water. Rats given the 1% DEHP-containing diet for 14?days showed severe testicular atrophy. Conversely, those given the diet plus 2 or 4% D-psicose-supplemented water did not develop testicular atrophy and exhibited complete spermatogenesis. Testicular weight was also restored almost completely by D-psicose. But, incomplete but significant protection was noted in rats receiving a 2% DEHP-containing diet plus 4% D-psicose-supplemented water for 14?days. The present study shows the almost complete protective effect of D-psicose against DEHP-induced testicular atrophy. Although the reproductive toxicity of DEHP in human beings remains unclear, D-psicose may act as a protective agent against oxidant-mediated testicular injury in mammals, including human beings.     

Characterization of specific contact resistance on heavily phosphorus-doped diamond films

Specific contact resistance of Ti contact on phosphorus-doped diamond film has been characterized by means of circular type transfer length method. The resistance was significantly reduced down to ～ 10^? 3 Ω cm² orders using heavily phosphorus-doped diamond film (n⁺) with phosphorus concentration over ～ 10²⁰ cm^? 3, although an ideal ohmic property was not obtained. The results are explained by a narrowing of the Schottky barrier width of Ti/n⁺ interface for tunneling through the barrier to take place, indicating that the heavily doping is promising method for reducing the contact resistance for n-type diamond.     

Elastic–viscoplastic behavior of plain-woven GFRP laminates: Homogenization using a reduced domain of analysis

In this study, a method for reducing the domain of analysis is developed for the homogenization analysis of plain-woven laminates. To this end, it is first shown that the internal structures of plain-woven laminates satisfy point-symmetry on the assumption that the laminates have the in-phase or out-of-phase laminate configuration of plain fabrics. The point-symmetry is then utilized for the boundary condition of unit cell problems, reducing the domain of analysis to 1/4 and 1/8 for the in-phase and out-of-phase laminate configurations, respectively. Using the present method, the in-plane elastic–viscoplastic deformation of plain-woven GFRP laminates is analyzed based on the homogenization theory of nonlinear time-dependent composites. Moreover, the in-plane uniaxial tensile tests of a plain-woven GFRP laminate at a constant strain rate are performed at a room temperature. It is thus shown that the present analysis successfully predicts the in-plane elastic–viscoplastic behavior of plain-woven GFRP laminates. It is also shown that the laminate configurations of plain fabrics exert an influence on the viscoplastic behavior of laminates, not their elastic behavior.     

A widely tunable SOA-integrated DBR laser by combination of sampled and superstructure gratings

We report on the development of the first 30 nm tunable laser diode utilizing a front sampled grating-distributed Bragg reflector (SG-DBR) and a rear superstructure grating DBR (SSG-DBR). A high output power greater than 18 mW was achieved with superior longitudinal mode stability, as well as an overall power variation of less than 3 dB for the well-defined laser. Furthermore, lasers integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) enabled the output power to be controlled independently both by the active current and the SOA current, as well as achieving a maximum output power of 45 mW. The side-mode suppression ratio was in excess of 40 dB for all the 50 GHz spaced wavelength channels.     

Coupling coefficient dependence on oscillation frequency stability of self-pulsating DFB laser diodes

Grating coupling strength effects in self-pulsating distributed feedback lasers were investigated. Choosing the coupling coefficient appropriately, improvements in the timing jitter as well as the injection locking sensitivity were observed experimentally. The results are attributed to a co-ordination of optical feedback strengths between dual lasing modes.