Benefits of Flow Data for Flood-Protection Design

Stream gauging data play a vital role in the planning of flood mitigation strategies. A study of the value of stream flow data for the design of levee systems shows that the availability of a reasonable sample of pertinent data can be worth many times the cost of collecting that data.     

DEVELOPMENT TOOL FOR COMPUTER VISION SYSTEMS AT PIXEL LEVEL

This paper describes a tool to aid the development of computer vision applications for pixel-level diagnosis. A conceptual framework for constructing pixel processors is described. The proposed tool is based on two domains: one deals with numerical images, named features, and the other deals with symbolic images, named classes. A reduced set of image and operator types is defined. Based on it, an object-oriented language is described. The main objects define features and classes and their associated operators, namely procedures, classifiers, and rules. All system control is goal oriented and is designed to provide symbolic images as results when a request is received from a higher level of the image understanding system. Some knowledge engineering concepts, such as certainty control and instances, are also included.     

乳化硅油增强提质褐煤型煤防水性的研究

针对部分提质褐煤型煤防水性差的缺点,制备乳化硅油作为型煤的防水剂,在硅油乳液的制备过程中,最佳亲水亲油平衡值(HLB)为10.5,硅油与乳化剂的最佳质量比为4∶1,最佳乳化方式为转相乳化法。试验结果表明:乳化硅油作为防水剂可大幅度增强提质褐煤型煤的防水性,3种不同质量分数的硅油乳液(5%、10%、30%)分别可使原本不具有防水性的型煤60 m in的平均吸水率降至6.98%、5.51%和1.98%。     

合成抗菌肽TachyplesinⅠ的体外生物活性及其降解规律

目的探讨合成抗菌肽TachyplesinⅠ在体外的生物活性及在模拟消化环境中的降解规律。方法采用不同温度、pH值、阳离子浓度、溶剂极性、模拟消化环境分别处理TachyplesinⅠ,通过检测TachyplesinⅠ生物活性的变化分析其稳定性;检测TachyplesinⅠ对小鼠血细胞的溶血活性;通过HPLC图谱变化评定TachyplesinⅠ在模拟消化环境中的降解情况。结果 TachyplesinⅠ在低于100℃、pH值小于10.3的情况下具有稳定性,阳离子浓度和溶液极性对TachyplesinⅠ的抗菌活性具有一定影响;在TachyplesinⅠ浓度大于80 mg/L时,作用时间大于30 min时,表现出一定的溶血活性;TachyplesinⅠ在模拟胃液、胃黏膜匀浆和血浆系统中表现出很高的稳定性,色谱峰型基本未改变,几乎无降解作用,TachyplesinⅠ的最小抑菌浓度为5.0～20.0 mg/L;在模拟小肠液和小肠黏膜匀浆系统中稍微敏感,色谱峰型降低,出现小杂峰,生物活性明显降低,最小抑菌浓度在80～160 mg/L之间。结论 TachyplesinⅠ具有较强的高温耐受性,在酸性条件下稳定,同时具有一定的耐受体内蛋白酶降解的能力。     

单层钢板组合剪力墙的弹塑性研究

单层钢板组合剪力墙是一种很好的抗侧力构件,在高层建筑中得到广泛应用。文章利用ANSYS对单层钢板组合剪力墙进行弹塑性分析,考察了不同参数的变化对其抗侧性能的影响,并得出相应结论。     

基矛电磁波的低流速测量中干扰因素分析研究

介绍了电磁渡测量流速的基本原理一多普勒效应．分析了影响低流速测量的主要干扰因素一发射泄漏干扰和旁瓣干扰。根据接收信号中发射泄漏干扰不变的特性,提出了去均值滤波的方法来消除干扰,对数据进行预处理;根据旁瓣干扰的信号特性,提出了通过频谱加窗和二次加权平均法构造频域带通滤波器来抑制干扰的方法,在仿真比较完各个窗函数的性能之后...     

EPR studies of (Bi, Pb)-2223 phase substituted by Ruthenium ions

This work studied X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), electrical resistivity and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements for Bi_1.8Pb_0.4Sr₂Ca_2.1Cu_3−xRu_xO_10+δ (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) superconducting samples. XRD analysis and electrical resistivity data showed that the low-content of Ru, x ≤ 0.05, enhanced both the phase formation and the superconducting transition temperature of (Bi, Pb)-2223 phase. A phase change from (Bi, Pb)-2223 phase to (Bi, Pb)-2212 phase was reported for x ≥ 0.15. Two EPR lines were observed for 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.075, indicating the presence of both (Bi, Pb)-2223 and (Bi, Pb)-2212 phases. While, one EPR line was observed for x ≥ 0.15, corresponding to the (Bi, Pb)-2212 phase formation. The number of spins (N) participating in the resonance and its spin paramagnetic susceptibility (χ), for the two phases, were calculated as a function of both Ru-content and temperature. In addition, we reported the variation of activation energy (E_a), Curie constant (C), Curie temperature (θ) and effective magnetic moment (μ) with Ru-content.     

Evaluation of a multicomponent, behaviorally oriented, problem-based "summer school" program for adolescents with diabetes

A 2-week summer school program, combining problem-based learning with behavior therapy, was developed to help adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes improve their ability to cope with obstacles to dietary management. Ten students participated in a first session, and 9 participated in a second session, serving as a waiting list control group. Outcomes were evaluated pre- and postsession and at a 4-month follow-up using 3-day food diaries, blood glucose data, and paper-and-pencil tests of diabetes-related knowledge, self-efficacy, coping strategies, and general problem solving. Improvements were observed in self-efficacy, problem-solving skills, and self-reported coping strategies. No significant changes were observed in daily intake of fat, cholesterol, calories, mean blood glucose levels or blood glucose variability, and diabetes knowledge. Comparisons between the first group and the waiting list control group do not allow the significant pre-post changes to be clearly attributed to the summer school program.     

Human brain metabolic response to caffeine and the effects of tolerance

OBJECTIVE: Since there is limited information concerning caffeine's metabolic effects on the human brain, the authors applied a rapid proton echo-planar spectroscopic imaging technique to dynamically measure regional brain metabolic responses to caffeine ingestion. They specifically measured changes in brain lactate due to the combined effects of caffeine's stimulation of glycolysis and reduction of cerebral blood flow. METHOD: Nine heavy caffeine users and nine caffeine-intolerant individuals, who had previously discontinued or substantially curtailed use of caffeinated products because of associated anxiety and discomforting physiological arousal, were studied at baseline and then during 1 hour following ingestion of caffeine citrate (10 mg/kg). To assess state-trait contributions and the effects of caffeine tolerance, five of the caffeine users were restudied after a 1- to 2-month caffeine holiday. RESULTS: The caffeine-intolerant individuals, but not the regular caffeine users, experienced substantial psychological and physiological distress in response to caffeine ingestion. Significant increases in global and regionally specific brain lactate were observed only among the caffeine-intolerant subjects. Reexposure of the regular caffeine users to caffeine after a caffeine holiday resulted in little or no adverse clinical reaction but significant rises in brain lactate which were of a magnitude similar to that observed for the caffeine-intolerant group. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide direct evidence for the loss of caffeine tolerance in the human brain subsequent to caffeine discontinuation and suggest mechanisms for the phenomenon of caffeine intolerance other than its metabolic effects on elevating brain lactate.     

Assessment of total body stores of vitamin A in Guatemalan elderly by the deuterated-retinol-dilution method

BACKGROUND: Deuterated retinol dilution (DRD) gives quantitative estimates of total body stores of vitamin A. OBJECTIVES: In elderly people, we studied 1) the time when an oral dose of deuterated vitamin A equilibrates with body stores, 2) whether serum ratios of deuterated to nondeuterated retinol (D:H) at 3 or 6 d postdosing predicted body stores, and 3) the ability of DRD to detect changes in the size of the body vitamin A pool. DESIGN: A 10-mg oral dose of [2H4]retinyl acetate was administered to 60-81-y-old Guatemalans (n = 47); percentage enrichment of serum retinol with deuterated retinol was determined at 1-3 time points per subject at 3, 6, 7, 14, 20, 21, and 54 d. In subjects from whom blood was obtained at 3 and 21 d (n = 15) and at 6 and 20 d (n = 9), total body stores were calculated by using the formula of Furr et al (Am J Clin Nutr 1989;49:713-6) with 21- or 20-d data and correlated with serum D:H at 3 or 6 d postdosing. Nine subjects received diets containing 982+/-20 microg RE (x+/-SEM) plus 800 microg RE as retinyl acetate supplements for 32 d. DRD, serum retinol, and relative dose response were used to assess vitamin A status before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Deuterated retinol equilibrated with the body pool by 20 d postdosing. Vitamin A supplementation for 32 d increased body stores, although unexplained exaggerated increases were seen in some subjects. An inverse linear relation was found between estimates of body stores and serum D:H at 3 d postdosing (r = -0.75, P = 0.002); at 6 d postdosing, the correlation was weaker. CONCLUSIONS: DRD can detect changes in total body stores of vitamin A, although factors affecting serum D:H need to be elucidated. Serum D:H 3 d postdosing might be used as an early indicator of total body stores of vitamin A, although a predictive equation will need to be developed.