A survey on makespan minimization in semi-online environments

We discuss variants of online scheduling on identical and uniformly related machines, where the objective is to minimize the makespan. All variants are such that some information regarding the input is provided in advance, and therefore these models are known as semi-online problems. Algorithms are analyzed with respect to the competitive ratio. We discuss the benefit arising from different kinds of available information and find that almost all variants allow one to reduce the competitive ratio significantly compared to the best possible competitive ratio for the corresponding pure online problem.     

A biomarker of n−3 compliance in patients taking fish oil for rheumatoid arthritis

Dietary fish oil supplements have been shown to have benefits in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), other inflammatory diseases, and in cardiovascular disease. As with any medical advice, variability will exist with regard to adherence and consequent biochemical or pharmacophysiologic effects. The aim was to explore the utility of plasma phospholipid EPA as a measure of n−3 PUFA intake and response to standardized therapeutic advice given in an outpatient or office practice setting, to increase dietary n−3 PUFA, including a fish oil supplement. Patients with early RA were given verbal and written advice to alter their dietary n−3 PUFA intake, including ingestion of 20 mL of bottled fish oil on juice daily. The advice included instructions to increase n−3 PUFA and to avoid foods rich in n−6 PUFA. Every 3 mon, blood samples were obtained for analysis of plasma phospholipid FA. Plasma phospholipid EPA was used as the primary index of n−3 PUFA intake. A diverse response was seen, with about one-third of patients achieving a substantial elevation of plasma phospholipid EPA over the 12-mon study period. A third had little change, with the remainder achieving intermediate levels. Data obtained longitudinally from individual patients indicated that substantial elevations of EPA (>5% total plasma phospholipid FA) could be maintained for more than 3 yr. Plasma phospholipid EPA is a convenient measure of adherence to advice to take a dietary n−3 PUFA-rich fish oil supplement. This measure may prove a useful adjunct to intention to treat analyses in determining the effect of dietary fish oil supplements on long-term outcomes in arthritis and other chronic inflammatory diseases. It may also provide a guide to the effectiveness of therapeutic and preventive messages designed to increase n−3 PUFA intake.     

Dietary Monounsaturated Fatty Acids Are Protective Against Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors

Over 50 years of research has sought to define the role dietary fat plays in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Although optimal dietary fat quantity has been keenly pursued over past decades, attention has recently centered on the value of dietary fat quality. The purpose of the present review is to provide a critical assessment of the current body of evidence surrounding efficacy of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) for reduction of traditional risk factors defining metabolic syndrome (MetS) and CVD. Due to existing and emerging research on health attributes of MUFA rich diets, and to the low prevalence of chronic disease in populations consuming MUFA rich Mediterranean diets, national dietary guidelines are increasingly recommending dietary MUFA, primarily at the expense of saturated fatty acids (SFA). Consumption of dietary MUFA promotes healthy blood lipid profiles, mediates blood pressure, improves insulin sensitivity and regulates glucose levels. Moreover, provocative newer data suggest a role for preferential oxidation and metabolism of dietary MUFA, influencing body composition and ameliorating the risk of obesity. Mounting epidemiological and human clinical trial data continue to demonstrate the cardioprotective activity of the MUFA content of dietary fat. As the debate on the optimal fatty acid composition of the diet continues, the benefit of increasing MUFA intakes, particularly as a substitute for dietary SFA, deserves considerable attention.     

花曲柳窄吉丁在中国的分布与危害的调查研究

花曲柳窄吉丁是木犀科梣属树木毁灭性的蛀干害虫,2003年已被列入我国林业危险性有害生物名单中.本研究对中国黑龙江、吉林、辽宁、河北和山东省及天津和北京市16个梣属树木分布区进行了花曲柳窄吉丁的调查.结果显示:除在北京市和山东省滨州市以及辽宁省的一个地区未发现花曲柳窄吉丁危害外,在其它省市的13个地区都发现有该害虫,而且在部分地区其危害已较为严重,有虫株率最高达90%以上,虫口密度最高达230头/株,并已出现部分白蜡树死亡.另外,在花曲柳窄吉丁自然种群中发现有幼虫被真菌感染致死和茧蜂科天敌寄生现象,并对害虫的种群发展显示了较好的控制作用.     

Young and older adults' use of context in spatial memory.

We evaluated the hypothesis that older adults remember spatial information less well than younger adults because they use contextual information less effectively. Young and older adults studied schematic town maps on which structures were presented either simultaneously or successively and on which a network of streets was either present or absent. However, age did not interact with either contextual variable. Thus, we conclude that age differences in spatial memory do not arise from differences in the use of context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kinetic study of gossypol fixation in cottonseed oil

Summary It was shown in experiments carried out under anaerobic conditions that the fixation of gossypol in cottonseed oil is a reaction of the second order with respect to gossypol. In other words, the rate of fixation is proportional to the square of the gossypol concentration in the oil. The rate of fixation is temperature-dependent and increases 22-fold with an increase in temperature from 40° to 80°C. Presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Oil Chemists' Society, New Orleans, La., April 20–22, 1959. One of the laboratories of the Southern Utilization Research and Development Division, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.