Ambiguity Function Method Scheme for Aircraft Attitude Sensor Utilising GPS/GLONASS Carrier Phase Measurement

When the receivers of GPS, GLONASS, COMPASS and other such systems are equipped with multiple antennas, they can give attitude information. Based on the difference carrier phase equations established in local level frame (LLF), a new algorithm is presented to resolve aircraft attitude determination problems in real-time. Presuming that the cycle integer ambiguity is known, the measurement equations have attitude analytical resolutions using single difference (SD) equations of two navigation satellites in-view. Similar with SD process, the doubledifference (DD) measurements are established and analysed. In addition, the SD and DD algorithms are capable of reducing the integer search space into some discrete point space and then the ambiguity function method (AFM) resolves the ambiguity function within the point solutions space. Therefore the procedures have very low computation, thus saving time. The hardware architecture has been realised using multiple  GPS/GLONASS OEMs. The experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed approach is effective and can satisfy the requirement of real-time application in cases of GPS, and combined GPS, and GLONASS.Defence Science Journal, 2009, 59(5), pp.466-470, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.59.154

pH-sensitive polymeric micelles triggered drug release for extracellular and intracellular drug targeting delivery

AbstractMost of the conventional chemotherapeutic agents used for cancer chemotherapy suffer from multidrug resistance of tumor cells and poor antitumor efficacy. Based on physiological differences between the normal tissue and the tumor tissue, one effective approach to improve the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy is to develop pH-sensitive polymeric micellar delivery systems. The copolymers with reversible protonation–deprotonation core units or acid-liable bonds between the therapeutic agents and the micelle-forming copolymers can be used to form pH-sensitive polymeric micelles for extracellular and intracellular drug smart release. These systems can be triggered to release drug in response to the slightly acidic extracellular fluids of tumor tissue after accumulation in tumor tissues via the enhanced permeability and retention effect, or they can be triggered to release drug in endosomes or lysosomes by pH-controlled micelle hydrolysis or dissociation after uptake by cells via the endocytic pathway. The pH-sensitive micelles have been proved the specific tumor cell targeting, enhanced cellular internalization, rapid drug release, and multidrug resistance reversal. The multifunctional polymeric micelles combining extracellular pH-sensitivity with receptor-mediated active targeting strategies are of great interest for enhanced tumor targeting. The micelles with receptor-mediated and intracellular pH targeting functions are internalized via receptor-mediated endocytosis followed by endosomal-pH triggered drug release inside the cells, which reverses multidrug resistance. The pH sensitivity strategy of the polymeric micelles facilitates the specific drug delivery with reduced systemic side effects and improved chemotherapeutical efficacy, and is a novel promising platform for tumor-targeting drug delivery

A Study on the Business Diversification of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers

医薬品流通業界では２０００年代半ばまで経営統合が行われ、医薬品卸企業の巨大化が進んできた。規模の拡大に伴い医薬品卸企業の機能も変化してきた。医薬品メーカーの代理店や特約店として機能していた中小零細規模の地域卸が、吸収合併により医薬品メーカーから独立し、卸機能を果たすようになった。また経営基盤を強固にするために業界内で大型合併を行ってきた結果、医薬品流通の中核を担うことになった。その後、物流機能強化を目的とした同業他社、業界を超えた統合は、医薬品卸企業が医薬品サプライチェーンにおけるマネジメント機能の強化につながった。さらに、近年は医薬品卸企業を取り巻く収益環境が変化するにつれ、新たな動きが見えてきた。本稿では、医薬品卸企業の新たな事業展開から機能の変化を検討した。論

A Study on Logistics Efficiency in Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

神奈川大

The Neuronal Channel NALCN Contributes Resting Sodium Permeability and Is Required for Normal Respiratory Rhythm

SummarySodium plays a key role in determining the basal excitability of the nervous systems through the resting “leak” Na+ permeabilities, but the molecular identities of the TTX- and Cs+-resistant Na+ leak conductance are totally unknown. Here we show that this conductance is formed by the protein NALCN, a substantially uncharacterized member of the sodium/calcium channel family. Unlike any of the other 20 family members, NALCN forms a voltage-independent, nonselective cation channel. NALCN mutant mice have a severely disrupted respiratory rhythm and die within 24 hours of birth. Brain stem-spinal cord recordings reveal reduced neuronal firing. The TTX- and Cs+-resistant background Na+ leak current is absent in the mutant hippocampal neurons. The resting membrane potentials of the mutant neurons are relatively insensitive to changes in extracellular Na+ concentration. Thus, NALCN, a nonselective cation channel, forms the background Na+ leak conductance and controls neuronal excitability

DFT-Spread Spectrally Overlapped Hybrid OFDM-Digital Filter Multiple Access IMDD PONs

A novel transmission technique—namely, a DFT-spread spectrally overlapped hybrid OFDM–digital filter multiple access (DFMA) PON based on intensity modulation and direct detection (IMDD)—is here proposed by employing the discrete Fourier transform (DFT)-spread technique in each optical network unit (ONU) and the optical line terminal (OLT). Detailed numerical simulations are carried out to identify optimal ONU transceiver parameters and explore their maximum achievable upstream transmission performances on the IMDD PON systems. The results show that the DFT-spread technique in the proposed PON is effective in enhancing the upstream transmission performance to its maximum potential, whilst still maintaining all of the salient features associated with previously reported PONs. Compared with previously reported PONs excluding DFT-spread, a significant peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction of over 2 dB is achieved, leading to a 1 dB reduction in the optimal signal clipping ratio (CR). As a direct consequence of the PAPR reduction, the proposed PON has excellent tolerance to reduced digital-to-analogue converter/analogue-to-digital converter (DAC/ADC) bit resolution, and can therefore ensure the utilization of a minimum DAC/ADC resolution of only 6 bits at the forward error correction (FEC) limit (1 × 10−3). In addition, the proposed PON can improve the upstream power budget by >1.4 dB and increase the aggregate upstream signal transmission rate by up to 10% without degrading nonlinearity tolerances

Performance evaluation of bio-oil and high rubber content modified asphalt: More effective waste utilization

In this study, the bio-oil was used to reduce the viscosity and preparation temperature of high content of rubber-modified asphalt. The high rubber content modified bio-asphalt (RMBA) was prepared, the rubber and bio-oil contents were 20 %-30 % and 5 %-15 % (mass ratio of neat asphalt), respectively. The viscosity, temperature sweep (TS), frequency sweep (FS), multi-stress creep recovery (MSCR), and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests were performed to assess the properties of RMBA. The Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Fluorescence microscopy (FM), and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were conducted to explore the microscopic morphology of RMBA. Besides, the economic analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) were assessed. Bio-oil contributed to the viscosity-reduction of the RMBA. When the rubber content was 30 %, the viscosity decreased by 48.16 % with a bio-oil content of 15 %. The temperature and frequency sensitivity of RMBA were lower than neat asphalt. Rubber improved the creep recovery and anti-rutting deformation behavior for bio-asphalt. The absorption peaks appeared at 1010 and 1038 cm−1, which represented the S[dbnd]O function group. The rubber did not absorb enough bio-oil for solubilization. This resulted in the functional group of S[dbnd]O appeared in 30 %+B-10 % and R-30 %+B-15 %. FM and SEM test results indicated that the rubber in RMBA exists in different states: undissolved rubber and dissolved rubber. The high content rubber could be partially dissolved in bio-asphalt and retained its elastic properties. The dissolved rubber particles exhibited a large crosslinked network structure. The raw material cost of RMBA decreased significantly with the rise of rubber and bio-oil contents. The reasonable application of waste rubber is beneficial to the alleviation of black pollution. The efficient application of rubber and bio-oil could contribute to the development of waste utilization and green transportation

Microwave photonic signal generation in an optically injected discrete mode semiconductor laser

This article belongs to the Special Issue Microwave Photonics Applications.In this paper, microwave photonic signal generation based on the period-one dynamic of optically injected discrete mode (DM) semiconductor lasers has been experimentally demonstrated and numerically simulated. The results show that the frequency of the generated microwave increases linearly with the frequency detuning or optical injection ratio. In addition, a single optical feedback loop is sufficient to reduce the microwave linewidth without significantly deteriorating side mode suppression. The simulation results using a model considering the nonlinear dependencies of the carrier recombination agree well with the experimental results, which indicates that the nonlinear carrier recombination effect is important in determining the nonlinear dynamics of optically injected DM lasers.This research was funded in part by the DESTINI project (2017/COL/007) funded by the ERDF under the SMART Expertise scheme; in part by the DSP Centre (82085) funded by the ERDF through the Welsh Government; and in part by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain, under grant RTI2018-094118-B-C22 MCIN/AEI/FEDER, UE.Peer reviewe