Raman lasers based on potassium gadolinium tungstate and lead tungstate crystals pumped by a≍120 ps Nd: YAG laser at 1.064 μm were developed. High reflection mirrors for the Stokes wavelength have been used to generate near-infrared and eye safe spectral region of 1.15-1.32 μm. Second harmonic generation of the generated Raman lasers was observed. Eifficient multiple Stokes and anti-Stokes picosecond generation in 64 crystals have been shown to exhibit stimulated Raman scattering on about 700 lines covering the whole visible and near-infrared spectrum. All stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) wavelengths in the visible and near-infrared spectrum are identified and attributed to the SRS-active vibration modes of these crystals.

Stimulated Brillouin scattering in optical fibers is described by a theoretical model and numerical analysis. The results showed that, for an optical fiber pumped by a laser beam with ns-order-pulse width and kW-order peak-power, SBS reflectivity tends to saturate when the fiber length exceeds a limit, named \"effective fiber length\". Using small core-diameter and long enough fiber, the SBS reflectivity level could be raised but is limited by optical damage of the entrance surface of the fiber. Therefore, just a small dynamic range can be obtained.

This paper presents an adaptive strategy for controlling chaotic systems. By employing the phase space reconstruction technique in nonlinear dynamical systems theory, the proposed strategy transforms the nonlinear system into canonical form, and employs a nonlinear observer to estimate the uncertainties and disturbances of the nonlinear system, and then establishes a state-error-like feedback law. The developed control scheme allows chaos control in spite of modeling errors and parametric variations. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been demonstrated through its applications to two well-known chaotic systems: Duffing oscillator and Rossler chaos.

A novel robot navigation algorithm with global path generation capability is presented. Local minimum is a most intractable but is an encountered frequently problem in potential field based robot navigation. Through appointing appropriately some virtual local targets on the journey, it can be solved effectively. The key concept employed in this algorithm are the rules that govern when and how to appoint these virtual local targets. When the robot finds itself in danger of local minimum, a virtual local target is appointed to replace the global goal temporarily according to the rules. After the virtual target is reached, the robot continues on its journey by heading towards the global goal. The algorithm prevents the robot from running into local minima anymore. Simulation results showed that it is very effective in complex obstacle environments.

For an energy-efficient induction machine, the life-cycle cost (LCC) usually is the most important index to the consumer. With this target, the optimization design of a motor is a complex nonlinear problem with constraints. To solve the problem, the authors introduce a united random algorithm. At first, the problem is divided into two parts, the optimal rotor slots and the optimization of other dimensions. Before optimizing the rotor slots with genetic algorithm (GA), the second part is solved with TABU algorithm to simplify the problem. The numerical results showed that this method is better than the method using a traditional algorithm.

This paper presents a novel digital dual-loop control scheme of the PWM(Pulse width modulate) inverter. Deadbeat control technique are employed to enhance the performance. Half switching period delayed sampling and control timing strategy is used to improve the system dynamic response. Simulation and experimental results presented in the paper verified the validity of the proposed control scheme.

Noise and linearity performances are critical characteristics for radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), especially for low noise amplifiers (LNAs). In this paper, a detailed analysis of noise and linearity for the cascode architecture, a widely used circuit structure in LNA designs, is presented. The noise and the linearity improvement techniques for cascode structures are also developed and have been proven by computer simulating experiments. Theoretical analysis and simulation results showed that, for cascode structure LNAs, the first metallic oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dominates the noise performance of the LNA, while the second MOSFET contributes more to the linearity. A conclusion is thus obtained that the first and second MOSFET of the LNA can be designed to optimize the noise performance and the linearity performance separately, without trade-offs. The 1.9GHz Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) LNA simulation results are also given as an application of the developed theory.

Database Security and Protection System (DSPS) is a security platform for fighting malicious DBMS. The security and performance are critical to DSPS. The authors suggested a key management scheme by combining the server group structure to improve availability and the key distribution structure needed by proactive security. This paper detailed the implementation of proactive security in DSPS. After thorough performance analysis, the authors concluded that the performance difference between the replicated mechanism and proactive mechanism becomes smaller and smaller with increasing number of concurrent connections; and that proactive security is very useful and practical for large, critical applications.

This paper explores brain CT slices segmentation technique and some related problems, including contours segmentation algorithms, edge detector, algorithm evaluation and experimental results. This article describes a method for contour-based segmentation of anatomical structures in 3D medical data sets. With this method, the user manually traces one or more 2D contours of an anatomical structure of interest on parallel planes arbitrarily cutting the data set. The experimental results showes the segmentation based on 3D brain volume and 2D CT slices. The main creative contributions in this paper are: (1) contours segmentation algorithm; (2) edge detector; (3) algorithm evaluation.

The main principle and the characteristic of Predictive Functional Control (PFC) strategy are presented in this paper and the corresponding control system aid design software APC-PFC is also introduced. For a chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) process, a design scheme of cascade predictive functional control system is described and the control performance is improved obviously.

As an environmentally harmless and feasible alternate refrigerant, CO₂ has attracted worldwide attention, especially in the area of automobile air-conditioning (AAC). The thermal property of CO₂ and its trans-critical refrigeration cycle is very different from that of the traditional CFC or HCFC system. The detailed process of CO₂ system thermal cycle design and optimization is described in this paper. System prototype and performance test bench were developed to analyze the performance of the CO₂ AAC system.

This paper presents a KIVA-3 code based numerical model for three-dimensional transient intake flow in the intake port-valve-cylinder system of internal combustion engine using body-fitted technique, which can be used in numerical study on internal combustion engine with vertical and inclined valves, and has higher calculation precision. A numerical simulation (on the intake process of a two-valve engine with a semi-sphere combustion chamber and a radial intake port) is provided for analysis of the velocity field and pressure field of different plane at different crank angles. The results revealed the formation of the tumble motion, the evolution of flow field parameters and the variation of tumble ratios as important information for the design of engine intake system.

The nonlinear finite element method is used to analyze the geometrical nonlinear stability of cable-truss domes with different cable distributions. The results indicate that the critical load increases evidently when cables, especially diagonal cables, are distributed in the structure. The critical loads of the structure at different rise-span ratios are also discussed in this paper. It was shown that the effect of the tensional cable is more evident at small rise-span ratio. The buckling of the structure is characterized by a global collapse at small rise-span ratio; that the torsional buckling of the radial truss occurs at big rise-span ratio; and that at proper rise-span ratio, the global collapse and the lateral buckling of the truss occur nearly simultaneously.

The valley shaped Tianziling landfill of Hangzhou in China built in 1991 to dispose of municipal solid waste (MSW) was designed for a service life of 13 years. The problem of waste landfill slope stability and expansion must be considered from the geotechnical engineering point of view, for which purpose, it is necessary to understand the geotechnical properties of the MSW in the landfill, some of whose physical properties were measured by common geotechnical tests, such as those on unit weight, water content, organic matter content, specific gravity, coefficient of permeability, compressibility, etc. The mechanical properties were studied by direct shear test, triaxial compression test, and static and dynamic penetration tests. Some strength parameters for engineering analysis were obtained.

Plastids of nongreen tissues import carbon as a source of biosynthetic pathways and energy, and glucose 6-phosphate is the preferred hexose phosphate taken up by nongreen plastids. A cDNA clone encoding glucose 6-phosphate/phosphate translocator (GPT) was isolated from a cDNA library of immature seeds of rice and named as OsGPT. The cDNA has one uninterrupted open reading frame encoding a 42 kDa polypeptide possessing transit peptide consisting of 70 amino acid residues. The OsGPT gene maps on chromosome 8 of rice and is linked to the quantitative trait locus for 1000-grain weight. The expression of OsGPT is mainly restricted to heterotrophic tissues. These results suggest that glucose 6-phosphate imported via GPT can be used for starch biosynthesis in rice nongreen plastids.

The cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) isolate P1 caused very mild symptoms on many plant species. After serial passages by mechanical inoculation over five years, CMV P1 caused severe symptoms on several tobacco cultivars and tomato. A specific band of approximately 0.3 kb in length was amplified by RT-PCR with primers synthesized based on reported CMV satellite RNA (satRNA) sequences. Sequence analysis showed there were two satRNAs (Sat-P1-1 and Sat-P1-2). Sat-P1-1 contained 335 nucleotides, and Sat-P1-2 contained 394 nucleotides. These two satRNAs shared 64% overall nucleotide sequence homology, and differences between the two satRNAs included mutations as well as deletions. Sat-P1-1 was identical to a satRNA (Z96099) reported in 1995 in CMV P1. Based on differences in the sequence and secondary structure between these two satRNAs, we conclude that Sat-P1-2 represents the emergence of a new satellite (necrotic satellite) from attenuated satRNA populations. The possible effect of the emergence of this new satRNA is discussed.

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has pleiotropic actions on many neuronal populations as well as on glia. Signal transduction by CNTF requires that it bind first to CNTF-R, permitting the recruitment of gp130 and LIF-R, forming a tripartite receptor complex. Cells that only express gp130 and LIF-R, but not CNTF-R are refractory to stimulation by CNTF. On many target cells CNTF only acts in the presence of its specific agonistic soluble receptors. We engineered a soluble fusion protein by linking the COOH-terminus of sCNTF-R to the NH2 -terminus of CNTF. Recombinant CNTF/sCNTF-R fusion protein (Hyper-CNTF) was successfully expressed in COS-7 cells. The apparent molecular mass of the Hyper-CNTF protein was estimated from western blots to be 75 kDa. Proliferation assays of transfected BAF/3 cells in response to CNTF and Hyper-CNTF were used to verify the activity of the cytokines. The proliferative results confirmed that CNTF required homodimerization of the gp130, CNTF-R and LIF-R receptor subunit whereas Hyper-CNTF required heterodimerization of the gp130 and LIF-R receptor subunit. We concluded that the fusion protein Hyper-CNTF had superagonistic activity on target cells expressing gp130 and LIF-R, but lacking membrane-bound CNTF-R.

Embryogenic calli were induced from the seeds of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) cv. Regent and colonial bentgrass (Agrostis Tenuis Sibth. Fl. Oxen.) cv. Tiger. The embryogenic calli were precultured on fresh medium for 4-7 days and then co-cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, LBA4404, which contains plasmid vector-pSBGM harboring bar coding region, synthetic green fluorescent protein (sGFP) coding region and matrix attachment region (MAR). After 3 days of co-cultivation, the calli were washed thoroughly and transferred to MS medium containing 2 mg/L of 2, 4-D, 12-15 mg/L phosphinothricin (PPT) and 250 mg/L of cefotaxime. After 2-3 months of selection, the actively growing calli of \'Regent\' and \'Tiger\' were transferred to MS medium with 12-15 mg/L PPT and 250 mg/L cefotaxime for regeneration. The putative transformants were maintained on MS medium with 3 mg/L PPT for long period but control died within 1 month. After establishing in greenhouse, the transformants also showed strong resistance to 0.4% of herbicide Basta but control plants died within 2 weeks. Under confocal microscope, both young leaves and roots showed significant GFP expression. PCR analysis revealed the presence of a DNA fragment of GFP gene at the expected size (380 bp) in the transformants and its absence in a randomly selected control plant.

Methane (CH₄) is an important greenhouse gas and a major environmental pollutant, second only to carbon dioxide (CO₂) in its contribution to potential global warming. In many cases, methane emission from landfills otherwise emitted to the atmosphere can be removed and utilized, or significantly reduced in quantity by using cost-effective management methods. The gas can also be used as a residential, commercial, or industrial fuel. Therefore, emission reduction strategies have the potential to become low cost, or even profitable. The annual growth rate of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) output in China is 6.24%, with the highest levels found in South China, Southwest China and East China. Cities and towns are developing quickly in these regions. MSW output was only 76.36 Mt in 1991 and increased to 109.82 Mt in 1997, registering an average increase of 43.8%. In China, methane emission from landfills also increased from 5.88 Mt in 1991 to 8.46 Mt in 1997; so the recovery of methane from landfills is a profitable project.

The effects of pH and Eh on release of nitrogen and phosphorus from sediments of West Lake under different conditions were investigated by simulation test. Results showed that the net flux of NH₄⁺-N release from sediments increased with pH, but NO₃^--N showed negative-going release at all tested pH levels. The net flux of NH₄⁺-N release from sediments was higher under anaerobic or aerobic condition of the overlying water, but only under aerobic condition would net release of NO₃^--N occur. It was also shown that phosphorus released was mainly in its inorganic form, higher pH and anaerobic conditions of overlying water greatly stimulated release of phosphorus. In situ measurement at several West Lake locations indicated that sediment resuspension induced by boat propeller stimulated nutrients release from sediment into overlying water.

This study of the thermal decomposition kinetics of various average diameter nano-particles of calcium carbonate by means of TG-DTA(thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis) showed that the thermal decomposition kinetic mechanisms of the same crystal type of calcium carbonate samples do not vary with decreasing of their average diameters; their pseudo-active energy E_a; and that the top-temperature of decomposition T_p decreases gently in the scope of micron-sized diameter, but decreases sharply when the average diameter decreases from micron region to nanometer region. The extraordinary properties of nano-particles were explored by comparing the varying regularity of the mechanisms and kinetic parameters of the solid-phase reactions as well as their structural characterization with the variation of average diameters of particles. These show that the aggregation, surface effect as well as internal aberrance and stress of the nano-particles are the main reason causing both E_a and T_p to decline sharply with the decrease of the average diameter of nano-particles.

Objective: To determine whether polymorphisms in the genes for coagulation factor II,V, VII could predispose an individual to increase risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or myocardial infarction (MI) in Chinese. Methods: We screened coagulation factor II(G20210A), V(G1691A), VII (R353Q and HVR4) genotype in 374 patients undergoing coronary angiography by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. Results: The R353Q and HVR4 genotype of the factor VII distribution was in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequencies of FVII genotype or allele did not show statistically significant differences between CAD group and controls or between male and female. The frequencies of the Q allele and (RQ+QQ) genotype were significantly higher among the CAD patients without myocardial infarction (MI) history than among those with MI history (P<0.05). However, HVR4 polymorphism was not significantly different within groups. We only find one normal control of factorII(G20210A) mutation. No coagulation factor V(G1691A) mutation was found in the CAD patients and controls. Conclusion: The factor II(G20210A),V(G1691A) mutation is absent and may not be a major genetic factor for CAD and/or MI; the Q allele of the R353Q polymorphism of the factor VII gene may be a protective genetic factor against myocardial infarction in Chinese.

Objectives: To directly compare the quality of harmonic imaging (HI) and fundamental imaging (FI) in fetal echocardiography and to determine any differences in image quality between the two modalities. Methods: Fetal echocardiograms were performed with the use of FI and HI in 58 fetuses, image quality and visualization of left and right atria, left and right ventricles, mitral and tricuspid valves, aortic and pulmonary valves, left and right ventricular outflow tracts were evaluated and compared between FI and HI. Results: Mean HI scores were higher than mean FI scores (2.73±0.43 vs 2.16±0.69, P<0.001)for all the cardiovascular structures evaluated. Compared with FI, HI improved the image quality and visualization of fetal cardiac structures in subjects with both good (2.73±0.43 vs 2.88±0.32, P<0.001) and suboptimal (1.65±0.41 vs 2.58±0.47, P<0.001) echocardiographic windows. The interobserver correlation coefficient for the grading scores was 0.74 (P<0.001). Conclusions: harmonic imaging enhances and improves the image quality of fetal echocardiography; and has important potential role in cardiac imaging in the fetus.