A problem with electrically driven vehicles is resonances in the drive train caused by elasticity and gear play. Disadvantageous effects caused by this are noticeable vibrations and high mechanical ...stresses due to torque oscillations. The oscillations can be damped using a control structure consisting of a nonlinear observer to estimate the torque in the gear and a controller, which computes a damping torque signal that is added to the driver's demand. The control algorithm was implemented in the existing motor control unit without any additional hardware cost. The controller was successfully tested in a test vehicle. The resonances can essentially be eliminated. The controller copes satisfactorily with the backlash problem.
Importance of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in IDDM subjects with diabetic nephropathy.
E Zander ,
B Schulz ,
P Heinke ,
E Grimmberger ,
G Zander and
H D Gottschling
Central Institute of ...Diabetes, Gerhardt Katsch, Karlsburg, German Democratic Republic.
Abstract
Diabetic nephropathy (DNP) is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. This may be contributed to by associated
cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction (CAD). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of CAD in patients with
insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) at different stages of DNP. We studied patients with incipient DNP (group 1, n
= 10), overt DNP (group 2, n = 20), renal insufficiency (group 3, n = 27), and end-stage renal failure (group 4, n = 12) and
compared them with 30 IDDM patients without clinical signs of DNP (group 5) and with 17 nondiabetic controls (group 6). All
groups were matched for age and diabetic groups were matched for duration of diabetes. Assessments of CAD included beat-to-beat
variation during forced respiration, heart-rate response to standing, heart-rate response to Valsalva maneuver, basal heart
rate, and blood pressure response to standing. Clinical evaluation included assessment of the history and an examination for
peripheral polyneuropathy. We found mean impairment of heart-rate variation during respiration, in response to Valsalva maneuver,
and in heart-rate response to standing in all diabetic groups compared with nondiabetic controls (P less than .01). Heart-rate
responses differed significantly between patients with renal insufficiency (groups 3 and 4) and with other patient groups
(group 5; P less than .01). CAD was shown to be more prevalent in patients with DNP, more so as DNP progresses. To some extent,
it is already present in the early stages of DNP. CAD may be a contributory factor for increased cardiovascular mortality
in patients with DNP.
A method to prepare polyribosomes from yeasts by using the french-press is described. The highest yield of polyribosomes was derived from late log-phase cells. These polyribosomes, incubated in a ...cell-free system, were able to reinitiate protein synthesis, which was shown by inhibiting aminoacid incorporation by aurintricarboxylic acid, edeine and sodiumfluoride. We developed the translational system in order to look for the optimal ion-conditions of a DNA-dependent protein-synthesizing system. We found out that at the optimal MgCL
-concentration (6 mᴍ) protein synthesis was strongly inhibited by Mangan ions which are required for transcription in yeast. If protein-synthesis was carried out with 2 mᴍ and 3 mᴍ MgCl
maximal aminoacid incorporation was observed at 2 mᴍ and 1.5 mᴍ MnCl
Several important outlets for meltwater and iceberg discharge occur along the margin of the Greenland Inland Ice. One of these is Disko Bugt in central West Greenland (Fig. 1). Large-scale exchange ...processes between the deep ocean and atmosphere are highly sensitive with regard to meltwater fluxes and global climate change. The Greenland Sea and Labrador Sea (see Fig. 1) with adjacent waters are the only regions in the Northern Hemisphere where deep-water formation occurs. New evidence shows that this process appears to be highly variable (e.g. Sy et al. 1997). Thus, meltwater production and iceberg calving from the Inland Ice margin of West Greenland may play a crucial role in controlling deep-water formation, notably in the Labrador Sea.
The effect of glipizide treatment on diabetic control and on in vivo insulin secretion and action was studied in 20 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Patients were ...examined before and after a minimum of 3 mo treatment. Mean (+/- SEM) fasting plasma glucose level fell from 264 +/- 12 mg/dl to 172 +/- 10 mg/dl (P < 0.001) after glipizide treatment, and this was associated with a fall in total plasma glucose response to a test meal of approximately 35%. Mean (+/- SEM) fasting plasma insulin levels increased slightly from 15 +/- 2 micronU/ml following sulfonylurea treatment, and the total plasma insulin response to the test meal increased by 63%. However, there was no correlation (r = - 0.20) between the increase in plasma insulin response and the fall in plasma glucose levels that occurred as the result of sulfonylurea therapy. Glipizide treatment also led to enhanced in vivo insulin action, whether measured by the insulin clamp technique (P < 0.001) or the insulin suppression test (P< 0.02). Furthermore, in this instance there was a significant correlation (r - 0.69, P < 0.001) between the enhanced insulin action and the improvement on diabetes control. Thus, chronic therapy with glipizide, a new sulfonylurea agent, led to increased in vivo insulin secretion and insulin action. These results lend direct support to the assumption that sulfonylurea compounds have a substantial extrapancreatic effect on glucose homeostasis, and suggest that this effect contributes to the therapeutic efficacy of these drugs.
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