1. A method for assessing the effect of a compound on female sexual arousal disorder or female orgasmic disorder comprising:
(a) administering a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent to a female subject;
(b) subjecting the subject to magnetic resonance imaging;
(c) measuring an imaging signal characteristic of the contrast agent to establish a baseline;
(d) subjecting the female subject to a stimulus designed to cause sexual arousal;
(e) monitoring an imaging signal characteristic of the contrast agent to assess the female sexual arousal disorder or female orgasmic disorder after the stimulus;
(f) administering a compound hypothesized to produce an effect on the female sexual arousal disorder of female orgasmic disorder to the female subject; and
(g) determining if the female sexual arousal disorder or female orgasmic disorder has been affected as a result of administration of the compound.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent is MS-325.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compound hypothesized to produce an effect on the female sexual arousal disorder or female orgasmic disorder is selected from the group consisting of sildenafil citrate, tadalafil, and vardenafil.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the subject is a mammal.
5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the subject is a human.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining step comprises:
(h) subjecting the female subject after said compound administration to a stimulus designed to cause sexual arousal;
(i) monitoring an imaging signal characteristic of the contrast agent to assess the female sexual arousal disorder or female orgasmic disorder after the stimulus; and
(j) comparing the imaging signal characteristics obtained in step (e) and step (i) to assess the effect of the compound on the female sexual arousal disorder or female orgasmic disorder.
7. The method of claim 1 or claim 6, wherein the imaging signal characteristic of the contrast agent is monitored in the pelvis of said female subject.
8. The method of claim 1 or claim 6, wherein the imaging signal characteristic of the contrast agent that is monitored includes monitoring the number of pixels in a given region of interest.
9. The method of claim 1 or claim 6, wherein the imaging signal characteristic of the contrast agent that is monitored includes monitoring the blood volume in a given region of interest.
10. The method of claim 1 or claim 6, wherein the stimulus designed to cause sexual arousal is selected from somatosensory, audiovisual, physical, and pharmacological stimuli.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said female subject is pre-menopausal.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein said female subject is post-menopausal.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein said compound is a PDE5 inhibitor.
14. The method of claim 8, wherein said region of interest is the genitalia.
15. The method of claim 9, wherein said region of interest is the genitalia.
16. The method of claim 3, wherein said compound is sildenafil citrate.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A gas-turbine engine combustor having a plurality of venturi mixers, each connected to an air supply path that passes air compressed by a compressor and to a supply source of gaseous fuel, which mix the air and the gaseous fuel to produce an air-fuel mixture and supply the air-fuel mixture to a combustion chamber for generating premixed combustion or diffusive combustion such that produced combustion gas is supplied to a turbine through a turbine nozzle to rotates the turbine that outputs its rotation through an output shaft, while driving the compressor by the rotation; comprising:
a casing which defines the combustion chamber; and
a liner disposed at an outer side of the casing to be communicated with the turbine nozzle;
wherein:
the liner is formed with a plurality of holes through which a part of air passing through the air supply path enters the outer side of the casing.
2. A gas-turbine engine combustor according to claim 1, wherein the casing is provided with a mixer forming portion at an end close to the turbine nozzle.
3. A gas-turbine engine combustor according to claim 1, wherein the liner is formed with the plurality of holes comprising a first group of a prescribed first inner diameter and a second group of a prescribed second inner diameter which is less than the prescribed first diameter.
4. A gas-turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein the output shaft of the turbine is connected to an electric generator.