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As the inspection tour targeted at disarranged parking phenomenon conducted by specially assigned security personnel to parking lots in neighborhoods makes it more difficult for parking management, this paper proposes an FPGA-based character recognition robot design. The camera was controlled by the master controller EP4CE115F29C7N to acquire the license plate information, the improved character recognition algorithm based on YCbCr color space was put forward to identify the license plates, and the robot walking was controlled by combining IR control with increment-type PID. The experimental results show that this robot is of certain practical value as it is capable of effective recognition and displaying the characters on the license plates.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is typically caused by trauma or disease, and it severely affects patients' motor function. The relationship between signal transducers and activators of transcription-1 (STAT1) and neuronal death after cerebral focal ischemia has been comprehensively studied, but its role in SCI remains largely unknown. This study investigated the protective effect of an STAT1 inhibitor on SCI. Thirty SD rats were SCI-induced and were then randomly divided into two groups (N = 15 each), either receiving STAT1 or the STAT1 inhibitor S1491 by intraperitoneal injection. The motor dysfunction of the rats was evaluated by behavioral scores, followed by the examination of SCI by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Apoptosis was also detected by Western blot and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. The motor functions of rats receiving STAT1 did not score as well as the STAT1 inhibitor group (P < 0.01). Further assays showed remarkable improvements in pathological damage to spinal code tissue in STAT1 inhibitor-treated rats, along with lower Bax and higher Bcl-2 expression. The STAT1 inhibitor also suppressed the occurrence of TUNEL-positive cells compared to the STAT1-treated group. In summary, we suggest that the STAT1 inhibitor alleviates SCI by decreasing apoptosis.

It remains unclear whether indomethacin (INDO) and/or surgical ligation (LIGATE) are necessary to improve outcomes in premature infants with a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). We have adopted a conservative approach to PDA management that emphasizes waiting for spontaneous closure unless certain cardiorespiratory distress criteria are met.This was a before-after observational study in infants born 501 to 1,500 g in two distinct epochs. Era 1 (January 2005 to December 2007) featured traditional management with INDO and LIGATE used early to close all moderate and large PDAs in infants receiving any respiratory support. Era 2 (January 2008 to June 2009) emphasized modest fluid restriction, watchful waiting and limited INDO and LIGATE to only those infants with large PDAs who met certain cardiorespiratory distress criteria.Era 1 included 139 infants with a PDA, mean (s.d.) gestational age 27.5 (2) weeks; Era 2 72 infants, mean (s.d.) gestational age 27.5 (2) weeks. In Era 2, INDO use significantly decreased (79% of infants to 26%, P0.001), and 28 day total fluids decreased (140 vs. 130 ml kg(-1) day(-1), P0.001). LIGATE rate was 45% in Era 1, 33% in Era 2 (P=0.11). There were no significant differences in supplemental oxygen, nasal continuous positive airway pressure, or mechanical ventilation days. There were no significant differences in mortality or individual morbidities. The combined outcome of chronic lung disease (CLD) or mortality after Day 7 significantly increased (Era 1, 40%, Era 2, 54%, P=0.04). More infants were discharged home with a PDA in Era 2, but most resolved spontaneously and the need for closure therapy after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) did not increase. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated Era 2 management did not predict an increased risk of one or more interlinked morbidities.Tolerance of the PDA with watchful waiting for spontaneous closure, modest fluid reduction, and less INDO use is a reasonable treatment strategy that is not associated with significant changes in NICU mortality or individual morbidities. We did note an increase in the combined outcome of CLD or mortality after Day 7, thus our investigation supports the urgency of a randomized controlled trial comparing traditional PDA management with a true control group similar to our Era 2 management to answer important questions of short and long-term outcomes.

Frits at both ends of a chromatographic column, especially for a preparative column, have significant influence on the flow distribution within the column and thus the column efficiency. However, frits have received little attention from chromatographers in the past. Here a theoretical study was conducted with the aid of CFD software FLUENT to investigate the effect of frits on the performance of homogeneous and heterogeneous chromatographic columns. A dimensionless number,FQ, was applied to characterize frit quality. This study visualized how frit quality affects the flow distribution and the concentration band, the shape of eluted pulse at the colum exit and column efficiency. Simulation results show that the development length of the flow distribution is related toFQ but has nothing to do with the packing heterogeneity. The curvature of the concentration band in a column depends onFQ and packing quality. This study shows column efficiency can be improved significantly by increasingFQ and/or frit permeability.

Based on the assumption of a radial parabolic porosity distribution across a chromatographic column and an ideal distribution and collection system for the column, a theoretical study of the effect of heterogeneous packing on the behavior of chromatography was conducted using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. This study examined the development of the velocity distribution in columns with different porosity variations and different diameters, visualized the effect of velocity distribution on concentration profiles inside the column and the eluted pulses at the exit and finally the column efficiency. Therefore, this study is helpful to enhance the understanding to the effect of packing quality on chromatography. The final result suggests that packing heterogeneity in current widely used chromatographic columns might seriously impair the separation efficiency of the columns.

The four stereoisomers of nadolol were successfully separated into three groups (SRS)-nadolol and (SSR)-nadolol, (RRS)-nadolol and (RSR)-nadolol using HPLC. The adsorption equilibrium coefficients, mass transfer coefficients of the three groups and the bed voidage were experimentally determined. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the separation was carried out using FEMLAB, which is application software from MATLAB. The simulation visualized the processes of dispersion and separation occurring inside the column. The curvature of the concentration profiles within the column were observed using the simulation. The simulated chromatogram correctly predicted the peak behavior of the eluted compounds except dispersion was overestimated, which is due to the limitation of the software used.

A well-known contradiction in phase-locked frequency synthesizer design is between frequency resolution, on the one hand, and bandwidth of the phase-locked loop (PLL), on the other. To solve this problem, a technique that uses an algorithm that produces a group of different divide numbers to the programmable feedback frequency divider of PLL for each required output frequency is presented. The interference frequency at the output of the phase detector of PLL and the frequency resolution can then be set independent of each other. High resolution and wide bandwidth are achieved simultaneously, with a simple synthesizer design leading to savings in power consumed and device cost. >

We have measured the evolution of the gain (Rhodamine) and absorber (DODCI) dyes inside a cw mode-locked dye laser. The recovery time of each dye after the passage of the intracavity pulse was much longer than 1 psec. However, a probe pulse passing through one dye and then through the other dye experienced a net gain that lasted only ~1 psec, the duration of the pulse. The results are consistent with the mechanism of pulse formation in a dye laser mode locked by a slow saturable absorber proposed by New and Haus [IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-10, 115 (1974); QE-11, 736 (1975)].

To evaluate the relationship between enteral water infusion for hypernatremia and significant intestinal morbidity in infantsor=1000 grams.This is a retrospective study of 321 infantsor=1000 g birth weight. Infants were grouped by the highest serum sodium (mmol/l) during the first 14 days of life as follows:150 (normal control),or=150 (high sodium control),or=150 and treated with sterile water (study group). Significant intestinal morbidity was defined as probable or proven necrotizing enterocolitis or spontaneous intestinal perforation. Statistical analysis included Student's t test for continuous variables and chi(2) with Yeats correction for frequency variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then performed to evaluate confounding variables among groups.The incidence of intestinal morbidity was significantly higher in the high sodium-water treated group compared to each of the other groups (13/33 (38%) for high sodium-water versus 16/100 (16%) for high sodium control and 18/188 (10%) for normal sodium control, P0.01 chi(2)). Logistic regression analysis indicated that enteral water and hydrocortisone were risk factors for significant intestinal morbidity.Enteral sterile water for hypernatremia appears to be associated with significant intestinal morbidity in infantsor=1000 g. Hydrocortisone is also a risk factor.