The impact of CCT on driving safety in the normal and accident situation: A VR-based experimental study

Correlated color temperature (CCT) of the light source inside the road tunnel plays a crucial role in ensuring driving safety, which is demonstrated by previous studies that CCT influences not only visual effects but also non-visual effects. Although conventional laboratory experiments could simulate the CCT environment inside the tunnel to some extent, they fail to restore driving experience, let alone simulate driving behavior in the accident situation. It has largely remained unclear whether and how CCT would influence visual/non-visual performance of the subjects who are performing driving tasks, especially in the accident situation. Motivated by this gap, a virtual-reality-based framework for assessing the influence of CCT on the visual and non/visual performance in normal driving situation and in accident situation was proposed. In this study, tunnel models under seven different CCTs were created and a rear-end accident was designed in the tunnel. By integrating analog driving equipment, all participants were required to perform virtual driving tasks both in the normal situation and in the accident situation. The non-visual performance (driving fatigue) and the visual performance (reaction time) of the participants were collected and analyzed. Results show that the CCT of light source inside the tunnel was significant on the driving fatigue of the driver who was performing driving task, and it also had a significant impact on the visual performance when the driver was faced with a rear-end accident. Detailed experimental methodology, behavioral explanations underlying these findings, validity of results and practical implications are also discussed in the paper.     

Preliminary study evaluating manual dexterity tests assessing gloves protecting against cuts and stabs by hand knives

The paper presents preliminary results on the research methodology of evaluating the ergonomic properties of gloves protecting against cuts and stabs by hand knives. Four manual dexterity tests were selected for the study: TEST 1: evaluation of fine finger movements pursuant to PN-EN 420; TEST 2: cylinder grip and pull test according to PN-EN 1082 evaluating gross movements of the arms and hands; TEST 3: Purdue Pegboard Test evaluating fine finger movements; TEST 4: evaluation of gross movements of the arms and hands while performing simulated occupational tasks. The tested gloves differed in terms of construction and material (metal mesh or knitwear incorporating a metal yarn) and were selected depending on the scope of work activities performed during meat cutting and boning. The tests were conducted on a homogeneous group of subjects. During the performance of the four dexterity tests, we monitored the loading of four groups of muscles of the upper limb (adductor pollicis, extensor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, and biceps brachii) using surface electromyography (EMG). Additionally, subjective sensations concerning the strain on the upper limb were evaluated using a questionnaire survey.The objective of the study was to identify a group of tests that would be characterized by high sensitivity and ensure reliable assessment of gloves protecting against cuts and stabs by hand knives. The results showed that not all of the dexterity captured differences in the way the gloves affected dexterity. This was corroborated by electromyographic measurements, which revealed considerable differences in load of upper limb muscles when using various gloves and further supported by the subjective sensations of the participants, as reported in the questionnaire study. It was concluded that in order to reliably evaluate the ergonomic properties of gloves protecting against cuts and stabs by hand knives it is necessary to design new dexterity tests that would reflect actual workplace conditions, and could simulate occupational activities. Workplace observations helped to identify specific aspects of manual dexterity (fine, medium, gross), and types of hand movement associated with professional activities including different force configurations (finger flexion, wrist abduction, and pressing with the fingers and wrist). Based on those observations three new manual dexterity tests dedicated exclusively to evaluation of the ergonomic properties of gloves protecting against cuts and stabs by hand knives have been proposed.     

An immunomagnetic-bead-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for sensitive quantification of fumonisin B1

A sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on immunomagnetic beads (IMB-ELISA) was established using a magnetic-bead signal-enrichment system. The immunomagnetic beads were coated with polyclonal antibody directed against keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), which were then coupled with a KLH–fumonisin B1 (FB1) conjugate. Anti-FB1 monoclonal antibody and sample extract were mixed and added to the immunomagnetic-bead solution. After the addition of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled goat anti-mouse antibody and the substrate solution, stop solution was added and the optical density of the reaction mixture was determined. To improve the performance of this method, the dilution of the immunomagnetic beads, the concentrations of the monoclonal antibody and HRP-labeled goat anti-mouse antibody, and the incubation time for the competition reaction were optimized. Based on the optimum conditions, the regression equation for this IMB-ELISA in quantifying FB1 was y = −0.3538x + 0.703 (R² = 0.9988). The detection limit and IC₅₀ were 0.24 ng/mL and 3.17 ng/mL, respectively. The working range was 0.54–26.3 ng/mL. The recovery rates were 80.4–114.7%, when the spiked concentrations ranged from 19.5 to 156.3 μg/kg. This IMB-ELISA is accurate and more sensitive and less time-consuming than the conventional ELISA.     

Effects of larval crowding and nutrient limitation on male phenotype,reproductive investment and strategy in Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Insecta: Lepidoptera)

Food shortage experienced by juvenile insects affects adult morphology and life-history traits. Developmental plasticity and trade-off between ecological and sexual traits helps maximise individual fitness. Ephestia kuehniella were reared at different larval densities to investigate phenotypic shifts in adult males. Variation in ecological traits (sizes of forewing, head and thorax and adult longevity) and sexual traits (valva and aedeagus, sperm number, mating frequency) were compared. Males that emerged from highest density population (800) had lower body mass and small forewings, head and thorax, suggesting that they could not completely compensate for food shortage. The allometric relationship between body mass and forewing length also changed, and these males had relatively longer wings. This arrangement may enhance dispersal and assist in mate-searching at higher densities. Males from all larval densities achieved similar mating frequency but those from higher density produced fewer eupyrene sperm and had shorter adult lifespan. By mating more frequently and maintaining apyrene sperm production, males increase their reproductive success at sperm competition observed at higher densities. Food stress associated with high density populations did not affect valva and aedeagus size indicating that these traits may be insensitive to external environmental changes because they incur fitness costs to males.     

面向等离子体W材料改善韧性的方法与机制

目的: 探讨胰岛素样生长因子1（IGF-1）基因多态性与抗高血压药物治疗后血压水平的关联性。方法: 运用流行病学现况调查方法,收集服用复方利血平、降压片和珍菊降压片的780例高血压患者的一般临床特征并测量其血压和临床生化指标。选择IGF-1基因的5个标签位点,采用TaqMan技术进行基因分型。采用协方差分析及分层分析对其基因多态性与药物治疗后血压水平的关系进行评价。结果: 在服用降压片的高血压病人中,rs6219位点不同基因型之间舒张压水平差异有统计学意义（P=0.01）。在服用复方利血平的高血压病人中,rs5742612和rs6218位点不同基因型之间收缩压水平差异有统计学意义（P值分别为0.04、0.017）。在服用珍菊降压片的高血压患者中,rs6218位点不同基因型之间舒张压水平及rs6219位点不同基因型之间收缩压水平差异均有关联（P值分别为0.017、0.033）。进一步分层分析发现,服用降压片的患者中,随着rs35767位点遗传变异女性收缩压的水平呈线性下降,而男性舒张压水平呈线性上升,校正混杂因素后P值分别为0.028、0.038。结论: IGF-1基因多态性与复方利血平、降压片和珍菊降压片三种抗高血压药物治疗后血压水平均有显著相关,提示IGF-1基因可能是高血压重要的药物疗效生物标记。     

安徽省部分城乡居民血清维生素A水平及相关因素分析

了解安徽省部分城乡地区6周岁以上居民维生素A营养状况及其相关因素分析。通过多阶段分层与人口成比例的整群随机抽样的方法抽取安徽省合肥市某区和安庆市某农村年龄在6周岁以上居民468名,于2010年8月至2010年10月进行问卷调查,并采集清晨空腹静脉血分离血清,用超高效液相色谱(UPLC)测定血清视黄醇浓度水平,同时测定部分生理生化指标。研究对象血清维生素A缺乏及边缘性缺乏率为15.6%(血清视黄醇0.3μg/mL),维生素A正常率为84.4%(血清视黄醇0.3μg/mL)。调查对象的维生素A水平在地区、性别、年龄、受教育程度、人均年收入、BMI、DBP、SDP、TC和TG分布上存在差异(P0.05)。单因素线性回归分析发现血清视黄醇浓度水平与地区、年龄、受教育程度、BMI、DBP、SBP、TC、TG和Hb呈正相关。多元线性回归分析发现血清视黄醇浓度水平与地区、年龄、TC和TG呈正相关。安徽省部分城乡地区6周岁以上居民存在一定比例的维生素A缺乏状况,并可能受地区、年龄、性别、TC和TG等因素影响。     

Ethanol production from agroindustrial biomass using a crude enzyme complex produced by Aspergillus niger

This study investigates ethanol production from simultaneous fermentation and saccharification (SFS) and separated hydrolysis and fermentation (SHS) using enzyme complexes produced by Aspergillus niger strains (ATCC 16404, ATCC 1057, ATCC 9029). The enzyme complexes were produced by solid-state fermentation (SSF) on inexpensive and readily available agroindustrial products: rice byproduct (composed of AFEX-treated rice rust and rice bran), whey and sugarcane bagasse. The ethanol was produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y904 using whey and rice byproduct as the substrate and the enzyme complex produced by A. niger. The best result for solid-state fermentation (40 U/g of dry substrate, A. niger ATCC 16404) was obtained in a 0.5 L rotating drum bioreactor at 40 °C filled half filled with solid biomass composed of rice byproduct (86% wt/wt), whey (12% wt/wt) and CaCl₂ (2.0% wt/wt). The best result for ethanol fermentation (11.7 g/L of ethanol) was obtained after 12 h of SFS at pH 4.5 and 35 °C. A comparative study of ethanol production by Trichoderma reesei CCT 2768 and A. niger ATCC 16404 complexes under the same optimised SFS and SSF conditions was also performed, revealing that ethanol production by the A. niger enzyme complex was 2.25 times higher than that by T. reesei. These findings suggest that the ethanol production using crude enzymatic complexes produced by A. niger and agroindustrial biomass described in this paper is very promising in terms of disposal of the whey produced by cheese-making and other dairy food processing.     

Effect of initial solution apparent pH on nano-sized nickel catalysts in p-nitrophenol hydrogenation

The effect of initial solution apparent pH (pH_a) on nano-sized nickel in the catalytic hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol was investigated in detail. Experimental results show that the catalytic activity of the nano-sized nickel shows a strong dependence on the initial solution pH_a, and is the highest at the initial solution pH_a 4.8. At lower or higher pH_a values the nano-sized nickel will obviously deactivate, but the deactivation mechanisms are fully different. With respect to the former, the nickel dissolution and the strong adsorption of the complex compound of nickel ion and p-nitrophenol on the surface of nano-sized nickel are the main reasons. The severe agglomeration of nickel particles also causes the deactivation of nickel used at the initial solution pH_a 1.6. For the latter the main reasons are the formation of nickel hydroxide surface species and the decrease of p-nitrophenol adsorption on the hydrogenation sites.     

食品安全领域企业法人违法行政双罚制可行性探讨

在食品安全形势依然严峻的情况下,本文反思了我国食品安全领域企业法人违法的行政单罚制,讨论了食品企业法人违法行政双罚制的概念、合理性、与刑事法律责任的衔接和竞合、法律确立及行政救济等,阐述了食品安全领域实行企业法人违法行政双罚制的可行性。