Journal of Zhejiang University. Science最新文献

The dynamics of hydraulic systems are highly nonlinear and the system may be subjected to non-smooth and discontinuous nonlinearities due to directional change of valve opening, friction, etc. Aside from the nonlinear nature of hydraulic dynamics, hydraulic servo systems also have large extent of model uncertainties. To address these challenging issues, a robust state-feedback controller is designed by employing backstepping design technique such that the system output tracks a given signal arbitrarily well, and all signals in the closed-loop system remain bounded. Moreover, a relevant disturbance attenuation inequality is satisfied by the closed-loop signals. Compared with previously proposed robust controllers, this paper's robust controller based on backstepping recursive design method is easier to design, and is more suitable for implementation.

Classes are key software components in an object-oriented software system. In many industrial OO software systems, there are some classes that have complicated structure and relationships. So in the processes of software maintenance, testing, software reengineering, software reuse and software restructure, it is a challenge for software engineers to understand these classes thoroughly. This paper proposes a class comprehension model based on constructivist learning theory, and implements a software visualization tool (MFV-Class) to help in the comprehension of a class. The tool provides multiple views of class to uncover manifold facets of class contents. It enables visualizing three object-oriented metrics of classes to help users focus on the understanding process. A case study was conducted to evaluate our approach and the toolkit.

The density-based clustering algorithm presented is different from the classical Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) (Ester et al., 1996), and has the following advantages: first, Greedy algorithm substitutes for R(*)-tree (Bechmann et al., 1990) in DBSCAN to index the clustering space so that the clustering time cost is decreased to great extent and I/O memory load is reduced as well; second, the merging condition to approach to arbitrary-shaped clusters is designed carefully so that a single threshold can distinguish correctly all clusters in a large spatial dataset though some density-skewed clusters live in it. Finally, authors investigate a robotic navigation and test two artificial datasets by the proposed algorithm to verify its effectiveness and efficiency.

This study aimed at acquiring knowledge on the hypoglycemic mechanisms of sodium metavanadate (SMV) showed that the liver glucokinase and muscle hexokinase activities increased rapidly after oral SMV was given, and that the blood glucose level was correlated closely with the activities of the two enzymes but not with the insulin level; which indicated that SMV could improve the altered glucose phosphorylation in diabetic mice independently of stimulating insulin secretion. This was probably one of the mechanisms of hypoglycemic effects of SMV.

We first report discovery of the spinel-garnet-orthopyroxene granulite with pure CO2 fluid inclusions from the Fuyun region of the late Paleozoic Altay orogenic belt in Central Asia, NW China. The rock is characterized by an assemblage of garnet, orthopyroxene, spinel, cordierite, biotite, plagioclase and quartz. Symplectites of orthopyroxene and spinel, and orthopyroxene and cordierite indicate decompression under UHT conditions. Mineral chemistry shows that the orthopyroxenes have high XMg and Al2O3 contents (up to 9.23 wt%). Biotites are enriched in TiO2 and XMg and are stable under granulite facies conditions. The garnet and quartz from the rock carry monophase fluid inclusions which show peak melting temperatures of around -56.7 degrees C, indicating a pure CO2 species being presented during the ultrahigh-T metamorphism in the Altay orogenic belt. The inclusions homogenize into a liquid phase at temperatures around 15.3-23.8 degrees C translating into CO2 densities of the order of 0.86-0.88 g/cm3. Based on preliminary mineral paragenesis, reaction textures and petrogenetic grid considerations, we infer that the rock was subjected to UHT conditions. The CO2-rich fluids were trapped during exhumation along a clockwise P-T path following isothermal decompression under UHT conditions.

Objective: To observe the accuracy of femoral preparation and the position of the cementless prosthesis in femoral cavity, and to compare the results between the computer-assisted surgical group (CASPAR) and the conventional group.

Methods: Ten femoral components were implanted either manually or by CASPAR in cadaver femurs. The specimens were cut to 3 mm thick slices. Microradiograms of every slice were sent to a computer for analysis with special software (IDL). The gaps and the medullary cavities between component and bone, the direct bone contact area of the implant surface, the gap width and the percentage of gap and bone contact area were measured in every slice.

Results: In the proximal implant coated with HA of the CASPAR group, the average percentage of bone contact reached 93.2% (ranging from 87.6% to 99.7%); the average gap percentage was 2.9% (ranging from 0.3% to 7.8%); the maximum gap width was 0.81 mm and the average gap width was only 0.20 mm. While in the conventional group, the average percentage of bone contact reached 60.1% (ranging from 49.2% to 70.4%); the average gap percentage was 32.8% (ranging from 25.1% to 39.9%); the maximum gap width was 2.97 mm and the average gap width was only 0.77 mm. The average gap around the implant in the CASPAR group was only 9% of that in the manual group; the maximum and average gap widths were only about 26% of those in the manual group. On the other hand, the CASPAR group showed 33% tighter bone contact than the manual group.

Conclusion: With the use of robotics-assisted system, significant progress can be achieved for femoral preparation in total hip arthroplasty.

Novel bacterial blight (BB) resistance gene(s) for rice was (were) introduced into a cultivated japonica rice variety Oryza sativa (cv. 8411), via somatic hybridization using the wild rice Oryza meyeriana as the donor of the resistance gene(s). Twenty-nine progenies of somatically hybridized plants were obtained. Seven somatically hybridized plants and their parents were used for AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) analysis using 8 primer pairs. Results confirmed that these plants were somatic hybrids containing the characteristic bands of both parents. The morphology of the regenerated rice showed characters of both O. sativa and O. meyeriana. Two somatic hybrids showed highest BB resistance and the other 8 plants showed moderate resistance. The new germplasms with highest resistance have been used in the rice breeding program for the improvement of bacterial blight resistance.

Objective: There is a remarkable lack of scientific evidence to support the option to use alpha-stat or pH-stat management, as to which is more beneficial to brain protection during deep hypothermic CPB. This study examined cortical blood flow (CBF), cerebral oxygenation, and brain oxygen consumption in relation to deep hypothermic CPB with alpha-stat or pH-stat management.

Methods: Twenty-two pigs were cooled with alpha-stat or pH-stat during CPB to 15 degrees C esophageal temperature. CBF and cerebral oxygenation were measured continuously with a laser flowmeter and near-infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Brain oxygen consumption was measured with standard laboratory techniques.

Results: During CPB cooling, CBF was significantly decreased, about 52.2%+/-6.3% (P<0.01 vs 92.6%+/-6.5% of pH-stat) at 15 degrees C in alpha-stat, whereas there were no significant changes in CBF in pH-stat. While cooling down, brain oxygen extraction (OER) progressively decreased, about 9.5%+/-0.9% and 10.9%+/-1.5% at 15 degrees C in alpha-stat and pH-stat, respectively. At 31 degrees C the decreased value in pH-stat was lower than in alpha-stat (29.9%+/-2.7% vs 22.5%+/-1.9%; P<0.05). The ratio of CBF/OER were 2.0+/-0.3 in alpha-stat and pH-stat, respectively; it was kept in constant level in alpha-stat, and significantly increased by 19 degrees C to 15 degrees C in pH-stat (4.9+/-0.9 vs 2.3+/-0.4; P<0.01). In mild hypothermia, cerebral oxyhemoglobin and oxygen saturation in alpha-stat were greater than that in pH-stat (102.5%+/-1.4% vs 99.1%+/-0.7%; P<0.05). In deep hypothermia, brain oxygen saturation in pH-stat was greater than that in alpha-stat (99.2%+/-1.0% vs 93.8%+/-1.0%; P<0.01), and deoxyhemoglobin in pH-stat decreased more greatly than that in alpha-stat (28.7%+/-6.8% vs 54.1%+/-4.7%; P<0.05).

Conclusions: In mild hypothermic CPB, brain tissue oxygen saturation was greater in alpha-stat than in pH-stat. However, cerebral oxygenation and brain tissue oxygen saturation were better in pH-stat than in alpha-stat during profound hypothermia. PH-stat strategy provided much more oxygen to brain tissue before deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Objective: To investigate the in-vitro antitumor immune responses of dendritoma formed by mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and lymphotactin (Lptn) gene modified dendritic cells (DCs).

Method: DCs prepared from mouse bone marrow were genetically modified by lymphotactin adenovirus, and fused with H22 cells by polyethylene glycol (PEG). RT-PCR and ELISA were employed to identify lymphotactin expression at mRNA and protein level. Cell phenotypes and fusion efficiency was detected by FACS. The stimulatory effect of DC on T cells was detected by mixed lymphocyte reaction. The cytotoxicity activity against H22 cells was assayed by LDH method.

Results: Lymphotactin could be efficiently expressed by DCLptn/H22 hybridoma. DCLptn/H22 cells could induce potent T cell proliferation effect and generate strong cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) reaction against allogenic H22 cells.

Conclusion: Lymphotactin genetic modification could enhance the in vitro immune activity of the dendritoma.