Multiple cardiac arrhythmia recognition using adaptive wavelet network.

This paper proposes a method for electrocardiogram (ECG) heartbeat pattern recognition using adaptive wavelet network (AWN). The ECG beat recognition can be divided into a sequence of stages, starting from feature extraction and conversion of QRS complexes, and then identifying cardiac arrhythmias based on the detected features. The discrimination method of ECG beats is a two-subnetwork architecture, consisting of a wavelet layer and a probabilistic neural network (PNN).

Improving polylactide/starch biocomposites by grafting polylactide with acrylic acid--characterization and biodegradability assessment.

In this article, the properties of a polylactide and starch composite (PLA/starch) and an acrylic acid grafted polylactide and starch composite (PLA-g-AA/starch) were compared. The composite containing PLA-g-AA was found to have much better dispersion and homogeneity of starch in the polymer matrix than the composite containing PLA, indicating better compatibility between the two phases. Better mechanical and thermal properties of the PLA-g-AA/starch composite, notably an increase in tensile strength and elongation at breakpoint, evidenced its superiority to the PLA/starch composite.

Surface properties and catalytic performance of La(1-x)Sr(x)FeO(3) perovskite-type oxides for methane combustion.

La(1-x)Sr(x)FeO(3) (x=0.0-1.0) perovskites were prepared and tested for the combustion of methane.

Study on catalytic incineration of methane using Cr2O3/gamma-Al2O3 as the catalyst.

A fixed bed reactor was employed to investigate the catalytic incineration of CH4 by various supported transition metal oxide catalysts, with a view of finding the optimal one. Results indicated that the active species, the support, the metal content, the weight hourly space velocity (WHSV), and the inlet CH4 concentration were all important factors affecting CH4 oxidation. Cr2O3/gamma-Al2O3 was found to be the most active catalyst among the seven gamma-Al2O3-supported metal oxide catalysts tested.

Al2O3-supported transition-metal oxide catalysts for catalytic incineration of toluene.

The catalytic incineration of toluene over gamma-Al2O3-supported transition-metal oxide catalysts in the temperature range of 200-380 degrees C was investigated employing a fixed bed flow reactor. CuO/gamma-Al2O3 was found to be the most active of seven catalysts tested. Using this catalyst with different wt% Cu in the incineration of toluene, we found that the optimal Cu content was 5 wt%.

Two new protopines argemexicaines A and B and the anti-HIV alkaloid 6-acetonyldihydrochelerythrine from formosan Argemone mexicana.

Two new protopine-type alkaloids, argemexicaine A (1) and argemexicaine B (2), along with thirteen known alkaloids, were isolated from MeOH extracts of Formosan Argemone mexicana L. (Papaveraceae). Physical and spectral analyses, particularly IR and thermo-modulated 1D and 2D NMR, were used to determine the transannular conformations of the isolated protopine-type alkaloids.

Effect of oxygenates on exhaust emissions from two-stroke motorcycles.

The advantages of adding oxygenates to gasoline include their raising of the octane rating and their ability to reduce toxic compounds in the gasoline. A study of impacts of various oxygenates used in 50cc two-stroke motorcycle fuel was conducted, using the two most popular motorcycles in Taiwan, to determine the effect of oxygenates on exhaust emissions. Oxygenates used in the study were methanol, ethanol, benzene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and isopropyl ether (IPE).

The kinetics of catalytic incineration of (CH3)2S2 over the CuO-MoO3/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst.

In this study, by varying reaction conditions including particle size, space velocity, reactant concentration and reaction temperature, the kinetics of catalytic incineration of (CH3)2S2 catalyzed by the CuO-MoO3/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst was investigated. Three kinetic models, i.e.

The promoter effect and a rate expression of the catalytic incineration of (CH3)2S2 over an improved CuO-MoO3/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst.

The CuO-MoO3/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst, confirmed previously as having good activity in the catalytic incineration of (CH3)2S2, was employed as the principal catalyst in this study. With the aim of improving catalyst activity and resistance to deactivation by sulfur compounds, a promoter was added either before adding the precursors of Cu and Mo or together with Cu and Mo onto the gamma-Al2O3. Promoters included transition metals and elements from groups IA-VIIA in the chemical periodic table.